The Invisible Sun within Us
by DarqueDeath4444
Summary: Sakura is supposed to be dead, so when she realizes that she is in the body of a child, she curses fate. She curses Naruto's pain, Sasuke's path of revenge, Kakashi's broken start and the second chance she doesn't deserve. Still, she swears to keep the girl alive. She had stolen the life of a girl with so much in front of her; it is the least she can do. Sakura reborn as Chrome.
1. Chapter 1

**So, our first ever non-other-fanfic related X-over is here!**

 **We would like to thank Aankon27 for the idea and the inspiration to get this story started~**

 _ **Chapter ONE**_

When Sakura opens her eyes for the first time in what seems like years, it is as though her body has not forgotten what it was like being dead.

Her limbs are heavy and her senses are numb at best. She can sense many chakra signatures around her, mostly civilians, but her foggy mind instantly notices that something is wrong, because everyone is dead.

 _She was supposed to be dead._

She does not remember the final moments of her life but she has a pretty good idea how she had ended. The battle had been gruesome and long and _tiring_ and a part of Sakura knows that at some point, she had wished for everything to end.

Perhaps she had been brave enough to end everything herself and cowardly enough to leave behind the reunited Team Seven.

Sometimes, she wonders when she had broken enough to to willingly leave behind the one thing she had been fighting for from the moment Sasuke had defected.

She does not weigh herself down with such thoughts, though, because she is supposed to be dead and she has had enough suffering for a lifetime.

* * *

It takes only the slight sharpening of her senses for her to realize that she is in a hospital. The smell of iodoform and the faint beeping of machinery gives away the place she has spent the most happy, satisfying time of her life.

However, none of this makes her feel any better in the least, because Konoha Hospital was destroyed ages ago, the battle field should be too far away from any village that she should have died along the way, there are no facilities with the necessary equipment to keep her alive and there are no shinobi as far as her war honed senses can detect.

It takes a while longer for Sakura to realize that the environment is not the only thing that is wrong at the moment. Sakura still cannot move her body and when she tries to tap into her chakra reserves, finds that not only are they unnaturally low, she cannot control it like she has been able to prior to whatever is happening now.

Perhaps 'underdeveloped' will be the better word.

* * *

She drifts between conscious and unconscious a lot after that. People come and go around her and Sakura soon begins to notice the chakra signatures of those who are constantly checking on her.

There are still no shinobi and in between the smell of disinfectant and the sound of the machinery, she begins to hear sounds that do not sound familiar at all.

Then one day, someone lifts her into arms that feel too big. Her vision slowly begins to clear and it is all she can do not to scream.

The nurse smiles down at her and in her eyes, she can clearly see her reflection.

* * *

When she finally realizes that she is in the body of a child, she curses fate. She curses the pain Naruto has gone through, the choice less path Sasuke has ventured into and the broken state Kakashi has started off at. She curses her sin of stealing the body of such a small, innocent girl that could have had a great life before her.

 _She curses her inability to finally rest._

* * *

Nagi's father passes away when the girl is young and had Sakura not stolen her body, she is sure the girl would have been too young to remember anything about the man.

Her mother is a famous actor and she is good at hiding her pain out in public, though she suspects this is half because she does not hold anything for her now passes husband. Her next work is a big hit, where she plays the role of a woman who loses her husband and struggles to raise their child on her own.

Sakura is also quick to notice that the look she gives the child on screen is fake, but so is the look she gives Nagi at home. At least in the movie, she makes an effort. Sakura does not receive a single genuine smile from the woman.

Soon, she remarries another man, this time someone who is an assistant manager in some famous overseas company. Sakura knows a marriage for convenience when she sees one and she knows people like Nagi's mother, who are good at using what they have to wrap others around her finger. The man she marries thinks he has gotten a good catch but it is Nagi's mother who is actually pulling the strings.

The merciless shinobi part of Sakura respects her, but she also knows that no child should have to grow up in a household of politics.

* * *

Sakura keeps to herself. She learns that primary education is compulsory and she attends school with all the other children her age. She does not make any friends and does not attempt to create any relationships. She is at the top of her class but she does not do anything to stand out too much. A simple genjutsu keeps her out of sight and her grades are enough to keep Nagi's parents off of her back. She can tell they do not really care for the girl who is supposed to be their daughter and she does not care for the people who are supposed to be her parents, so it works out.

She feels bad as she strays Nagi away from her parents but a part of her decides that it is for the best. Neither of them understands her and neither of them try to reach out to her, and Nagi does not deserve such neglecting parents.

* * *

Years pass with nothing happening. Sometimes, Sakura feels the traces of what she is sure to be the real Nagi in the back of her mind but they are nothing but small prods and weak bursts of emotion. Sakura has tried a few times to call out to it but a girl who has never experienced any aspects of life surely cannot communicate with someone who has seen more than one should ever see in a single lifetime.

Or perhaps Sakura's abundance of memories are enough to count for two people, because as the days pass, the process seems to get stronger.

Then again, maybe it is just Sakura's wistful thinking.

She swears to keep the girl alive, out of guilt for stealing the second chance she does not deserve at the price of an innocent girl with an entire lifetime in front of her.

Guilt may be the wrong emotion to use to drive herself forward but there is nothing else left for Sakura to keep herself on her feet.

* * *

 **So, we're trying out a slightly different writing style here.**

 **Also, just in case it wasn't clear:**

 **-The Sakura in this story comes from a world where the Shinobi Alliance lost, or is losing, the war.**

 **-Sakura died sometime somehow during the war.**

* * *

 _ **Darque: I love Hitman Reborn.**_

 **Raven: I know, I can tell.**

 _ **Darque: It's very good~**_

 **Raven: I know, I've watched it too.**

 ** _Darque: I'm still hoping, just a little, that the anime has another season._**

 **Raven: I hope, but I doubt it. Then again, Code Geass is getting a 10th anniversary third season, so who knows?**

 _ **Darque: Well, I'll just hope.**_

 **Raven: I'll join you.**

 **Please read and review~**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter TWO**_

Time only makes Sakura drift even further from Nagi's parents, her surroundings, and perhaps reality as a whole.

Everyday feels like a little longer than the last and soon, it is only the crushing sense of responsibilities that allows her to drag herself through the days.

* * *

It is a couple of years later when things begin to change.

When she sees the cat and the truck, it is not pity, or some twisted heroic or even old shinobi instincts of protecting those weaker than her that makes her jump to save it.

It is her own selfishness and the flashes of Naruto's grins and Sasuke's smirks and Kakashi's eye-smiles that makes her willingly leap in front of it, wishing for something all three of them would have berated her for.

But they weren't here to stop her and she is more than willing to face their yelling if she can see them again.

Everything slows down and she can feel the air shifting as it approaches. A sense of calm wraps around her like familiar arms.

Suddenly, she feels a spike of panic that is so raw and foreign and she realizes with a start that this body is not hers to destroy. Her sudden confusion delays whatever decision she might have made next. The truck hits her and even as the tired part of her berates her war honed instincts for instinctively curling in on herself to protect the vulnerable parts of her body, the brunt of the force still echoes throughout her frame. The truck screeches into a panicking halt and she hears shouts and screams of the passersby. Still, she receives the brunt of the truck's momentum and the the impact from hitting the ground is more than enough to knock her out.

* * *

 _She wanted to die._

* * *

Sakura wakes up to familiar white surroundings and the calming smell of disinfectant.

Her first thought is disappointment, which she quickly chases off.

 _She will not drag an innocent soul such as Nagi to death_.

The darkness tries to once again welcome her into its grasp and as she willingly falls, she is unable to explain why she does not heal her now missing organs.

* * *

When she drifts out of her unconscious state to the sound of Nagi's parents arguing, something red burns within her for a split second, before it sinks back to the haze that has been her soul for the past few years. Sakura recognizes it, though, and she quickly shoves it down further before it surfaces again and makes her _feel._

At one point, a mother unwilling to save her child and a father who cannot spare the briefest second of the day to see her might have hurt her. She might have even taken it upon herself to go and correct their ways.

However, all she feels now is understanding, because _she had left everyone when they needed her._

This was the least she deserved.

* * *

Something carcasses her ear and once again, Sakura is aware of her surroundings.

 _Who's there?_

 _'Oh? You can hear me?'_

The mystery voice lulls her back into the darkness and when she wakes up in an endless clearing of grass and flowers and blue sky, she wonders if she is dead. Out of habit, she sends out a wave of chakra, which informs her that this environment is a genjutsu.

Sakura knows that the people of this world should not be able to access their chakra storage, let alone use it to create such detailed fabrication, but she is tired of being wary of beautiful things. She pushes away her warning senses and sinks down into the grass.

"My my, what do we have here?"

For some reason, she does not panic at the sudden interruption. She curiously glances over her shoulder and eyes the new arrival. The boy that leans casually against a tree she is sure hadn't been there when she had arrived has distinctive purple hair and piercing red eyes that threaten to drag her back into her memories. He looks slightly older than her and is fixing her with a look of amusement that hides so much more. Sakura pretends not to notice this.

"Is this place yours?" She asks. Her voice is rasp after ages of not speaking and she realizes with a start that this is the first genuine thing she has ever said in this world.

The teen chuckles and steps out from behind the tree. "It is." He is graceful when he walks. "Who might you be?"

 _She is Sakura._

Sakura hesitated as names jumble up in her mind. "...Nagi." She tells him. "Who are you?"

The teen's eyes do not relent in their staring as he offers her an almost mocking bow. "I am Rokudo Mukuro."

 _Six Paths. Corpse. Even his name reminds her of the past._

Sakura watches him straighten and then stares at the hand he offers out to her. "Would you like to explore?" He asks her. "I can show you around."

What sounds like an offer rings in Sakura's ears as orders and she allows the teen to pull her to her feet.

Sakura blinks and when she looks up, she can suddenly see the edge of the trees a little off. Behind her is a lake surrounded by flowers of all colors and sizes and on the small hill overlooking it all is a bench.

Sakura hesitates. She cannot face what she might see in the reflections of the lake and she will not taint the flowers with feet that have stepped on more dead bodies than she can count.

Seeming to notice something, Mukuro leads her over to the bench that overlooks the scenery. Like a gentleman, he lets her sit first before he lets himself down on the spot beside her. His eyes linger on her forehead and Sakura realizes with a start that this man can see right through the layer upon layers she had placed over the one proof she had carried over from her previous life.

He doesn't say anything, though, so she doesn't either.

"Are you not curious at all?" Instead he asks. "Who I am, why you are here?"

Sakura looks away from the blinding surface of the water and stares into the teen's heterochromic eyes. "You are Rokudo Mukuro. I am here because..." - _She tried to kill herself-_ "Should I be?" She asks.

Mukuro lets out a free sounding laugh. "You and me, we may be alike."

* * *

In the following weeks, Mukuro appears in their now shared sanctuary and teaches her things. Sakura learns that the energy she feels within her is called the 'Dying Will Flame', which works as the chakra of this world. Just like in the shinobi universe, there are those who can use it to fight, like ninja, and there are those who let it lay dormant, like the civilians. However, here, those who are aware of these Flames are little.

Sakura can channel these Flames just like she had used her chakra and she is sure she will be able to pick up fighting with these Flames quickly enough. She thinks this realization is perfect.

 _She swears to never use chakra again._

She is going to start over. She did not want to remember. She will not taint the innocent body she is using with a power she had used to kill.

 _She will not leave this body covered in scars of sin of massacre and slaughter._

And so, she trains really hard to be able to fight with the Dying Will Flames - _To wipe away the traces of the killing weapon she had formerly wielded._

* * *

Sakura finds it fitting when Mukuro creates illusionary organs for her. A fake being living on fake organs fills her with irony.

The presence in the back of her mind slowly growing day by day is not fake, though, and she promises to heal Nagi's organs before she leaves.

* * *

Sakura allows herself to be fooled by sweet words and promises and claims of her importance. She clings on to the hand held out to her by Rokudo Mukuro.

 _She will give Chrome a reason to exist after she leaves and until then, she will give herself the means to cling onto this reality that she desperately needs._

She repeatedly tells herself this as she escapes the hospital.

* * *

 **So, here's chapter two~**

 _ **Darque: Sakura will be very broken at the beginning...later on maybe not really?**_

 **Raven:...Huh?**

 _ **Darque: Sorry, I'm confused too.**_

 **Raven: Oh, okay, I see. Don't worry, I'm used to it.**

 _ **Darque: Used to what?**_

 **Raven: You're always confused =.=**

 _ **Darque: I am, aren't I?**_

 **Raven: I can tell because you're agreeing with me.**

 **Read and Review~**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter THREE**_

The world outside the white walls of the hospital is as loud and bright and as foreign as she remembers. There are no traces of Konoha she remembers, which makes sense because it had been destroyed in the war, and Sakura does not know why she even tries. She is still nervous around transport, something that did not exist in her world, and Mukuro seems to assume that this is because of her accident. Sakura does not correct him.

Mukuro gives her instructions and she follows them without question and begins making her way to the next town across.

She is to head over to Kokuyo-land. The mall she will find there will now be her base of operation, he tells her. She is to go there and wait for the arrival of his accomplices.

Sakura is reminded of the temporary headquarters set up during the war, many of which were bombed.

 _Everyone was blown into bits. More often than not, no one survived._

Sakura walks. It is a long journey without the aid of chakra but Sakura appreciates the time she has to think things through. Sometimes, Nagi's conscious is strong enough for her to send through certain pictures from Sakura's memories that she seems to enjoy, such as their seemingly endless Genin days days chasing after Tora, the cat.

 _She would catch a hundred Toras without complaint if that would make the war not happen._

Sometimes, Mukuro steps into their sanctuary and he would share with her sweet words of nothing.

Abandoned, neglected and thrown away, Sakura knows she appears to be the perfect kind of person to corrupt and brainwash. She knows that Mukuro is trying to breed limitless loyalty and right now, she is willing to walk into his trap of her own accord.

 _In front of her is a snare of sweet words and behind her is a cliff that leads to the depth of her memories._

She doesn't have much of a choice.

* * *

It is by chance that she comes across a sleeping boy on the bench of Namimori park. It is curiosity that makes her approach him and it is familiarity that makes her sit by his head to watch him.

Lots of children had lost their parents in the war. Soon, there hadn't been enough people to care for them as civilians died or fled and the shinobi were sent to fight in the war; they had to protect the village.

 _But everyone was dead before that. What good was a village when there was no one to return there?_

The boy wakes up like someone who had been having a nightmare. He is instantly aware that someone is there and it is only Sakura's shinobi instincts that save her from meeting his forehead with hers as he sits up. "Who-who are you, byon?" He demands. "What were you doing?"

Sakura blinks at the outburst. "I-"

 _What was she doing?_

"I thought...you were dying." She finally says. "And that would have been sad."

The boy stares at her skeptically but before he can voice his thoughts, they are interrupted by a growl of the stomach. The boy blushes.

Everyone had slowly starved during the war. Even if they live through the daily attack, some died of starvation. The food was being rotated more and more to the front lines. The shinobi were priority; they were fighting for the people.

 _And there there were no more people to fight for. They had all been killed, and some not by the enemy._

Sakura reaches into her bag and holds out to the boy the apple she had gotten earlier. "Here."

The boy stares strangely at the fruit, eyes her warily one more time, before he lowly takes.

There are tears in his eyes as he eats it and Sakura does not understand.

People cried a lot during the war, but that was still the good part. It became worse when they could no longer muster the tears, because they had no more hope and nothing more to lose.

 _They had nothing left to waste their tears on. There was nothing good about them anyway, because all they did was dehydrate you and water was scarce._

Before she can ask, the boy whispers a soft "Why?" and he darts away.

It only takes her a second to think, before she is moving after him.

* * *

Sakura is not very surprised when the boy pulls away from the main streets and soon vanishes into a building that looks like an abandoned mall. She does not know why exactly, but it is as though she had expected something like this.

She follows him up towards what appears to be an large open area with ragged furniture and stops by the doorway. Within the room is the blond boy and another new face. She patiently waits at the entrance for the room's occupants to notice.

It is soon after when the blond boy whirls around to face her. "You, byon!" He snarls accusingly. "Did you follow me?"

Sakura blinks. "Hello." She reaches for the bag she has been carrying the whole time and holds it out in front of her. "For you." She says.

"Yo-You, you think I can just eat something you bring?" The blond demands.

"I see." Sakura slowly moves to place it on the ground in front of her.

A name is whispered in her ear. "It's for you, Ken, Chikusa."

The two freeze in shock and Sakura knows that Mukuro is enjoying this from the backseat in her mind. Without another word, she turns and leaves the building.

* * *

It takes only a couple of minutes for Ken to catch up to her. She knows what he sees when he catches sight of her isn't _her_ , though, and she calmly waits for him to gather his thoughts as his fingers pass right through the image of the figure he has been wanting to see for so long.

"I'm sorry." She tells him, because she understands.

 _What hurts more, to be kept waiting, or to keep someone waiting? Sakura does not really know, but she does know that it hurts the most when there is no longer a need to wait._

She has been on both ends, so she thinks she has a say in this. She doesn't wait of the blond to say anything and if Mukuro noticed her vanishing illusion had come across a little more gentle and soothing than usual, he does not say anything.

* * *

It takes a few more run in with them before the two can muster up the courage to demand to know her relationship with Mukuro. Sakura indulges them only because she understands the pain of waiting.

She lets Ken lash out at her and endures Chikusa's subtle glares _because she has endured far worse_ because she understands. To them, at this moment in time, she is nothing more than an inadequate replacement for the man they serve, and she is okay with that, simply because she is not supposed to be here at all.

* * *

 **The line about waiting and making people wait is a very vaguely altered, self translated version of Dazai Osamu's famous quote.**

* * *

 **So, here's chapter three.**

 ** _Darque: For those of you who have read the novels, I'm sure you can tell that the meeting between Chrome, Ken and Chikusa has been altered just a little._**

 **Raven: Maybe a lot?**

 ** _Darque:...Actually, yeah, maybe a lot._**

 **Raven: But nothing too drastic and it works.**

 _ **Darque: I think so too.**_

 **Raven: Yeah.**

 ** _Darque: Yup._**

 **Read and Review~**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Just a notice that the previous chapter was uploaded during the time there was a problem with the email alert system, so if you haven't read that yet, make sure to do so :)**_

 _ **Chapter FOUR**_

The first thing Sakura does is go around reconnecting with Mukuro's contacts.

People who would have scoffed at a girl with her appearance cowers under Mukuro's presence that seeps out from under her skin.

Rokudo Mukuro is a powerful, fear inducing name in the mafia world.

In her spare time, she moves through Kokuyo-land, setting up traps and safety measures. She spreads illusions that are triggered under certain circumstances and she stocks the hideout with preservable food.

She sits up most of the night and grabs a few hours of sleep at the crack of dawn when Ken and Chikusa begin to stir. She is being paranoid, but it makes her feel safe so she does not stop.

She Thought neither Ken nor Chikusa had noticed, but perhaps she had not given them enough credit; they too were part of the mafia world.

It is a week after her arrival when Ken visits her usual post on the roof. He hesitates at the door and Sakura does not press, her eyes fixed on the shadows dancing in the distance.

Finally, "You don't sleep.".

Sakura blinks at him. "I do."

Ken scoffs. "You need to sleep byon." He says. "You're our link to Mukuro-san. We can't have you collapsing.

Sakura ducks her head. "I won't."

Ken runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know what you're scared of, but we're here too byon."

Sakura tears her gaze away from the distance and look at Ken. "I'm not scared."

Ken opens his mouth but something must have flashed through her gaze because he drops it. Instead, he glances away. "I can watch today." he mumbles. "You should sleep."

Sakura feels something warm bubble up within her chest but dark flames hold her back.

 _Once she closes her eyes, there is darkness and only darkness. Is the liquid under her hands blood?_

Ken lets out a soft growl and a hand catches the side of her head, flinging her down onto his lap. The blond is smiling and blushing but he persists. "Sleep, byon."

Sakura closes her eyes and tries.

 _In the end, she isn't able to. She can feel the nightmares keeping her just out of reach of sleep._

So she lies there, listening to the sounds of the night, and she knows Ken knows this too.

He does not say anything, though, and she lies there, feeling more rested than she has ever after sleep.

* * *

After that, Ken and Chikusa take turns coming up to the roof. Sometimes, they sleep while she sits up and sometimes, they stay awake after forcing Sakura lie down. Soon after, they manage to make her sit inside the building and once in while, in between nightmares that send her bolting up into the world of living, she manages to steal a few more hours of dreamless sleep

Sometimes, she wakes up to warmth that chases away the hands of the dead that tries to drag her down and she merely sits, gasping for breath, until she can lie down again without tossing and turning.

It takes a long time for Ken and Chikusa to come to completely trust her, but within weeks, they acknowledge her enough for them to work together.

They know she had been picked by Mukuro for a reason and also that she is very similar to them.

They have nightmares too. Sakura knows this, because she knows the signs to look for.

They begin accompanying her to her meetings with Mukuro's connections and they are there when a particular letter arrives.

Both Ken and Chikusa seem to recognize the seal and Sakura looks at it with renewed interest.

Chikusa answers her wordless question."Vongola."

Sakura tries out the word. "Vongola." She hums and opens it.

* * *

Mukuro makes a deal with Sawada Iemitsu. Sakura does not know the details, nor is she particularly interested.

She knows one thing, though, and that is that she is now a temporary Mist Ring Guardian.

Whatever that means.

* * *

Sakura receives a summon a few days later. Ken and Chikusa insist on accompanying her and they head over to Namimori Middle School for whatever these people need her for.

Sakura listens as Ken tells her about their past experience with the Vongola and knows that there must have been something really worth it for Mukuro to lend their aid to a side in a power struggle within an organization that she thinks they should be hating.

Mukuro seems to enjoy her confusion and she can hear his amused chuckles long after she has stopped trying to get answers.

But when she steps up towards the gates of the school, she begins to notice something she clearly should have noticed in the much earlier.

Namimori _Middle School._

Sakura shakes this off and heads off towards the gym. Soon Ken begins to growl and Chikusa tenses.

"I'll go first." Ken decides. "Who knows if they have a trap laid out for us."

Sakura does not bother saying that if there indeed is a trap, her or even Chikusa would be a better candidate. Still, Ken just shoves in through the gates and when Sakura follows a few seconds after nothing.

The sight before her immediately reminds her of the war.

These are nothing but _children._

She can see from their eyes and their stances and they way there is a hint of excitement in the air that they are not only children, but are innocent and naive and ignorant as well.

If the images and memories she sees glimpses of when Mukuro is particularly close to her is true and of any indication, these people do not belong here.

* * *

 **So, here's chapter four~**

 _ **Darque: I need to sleep.**_

 **Raven: You always say that and yet, you never do.**

 _ **Darque: I actually need to. I've slept 16 hours in the past week.**_

 **Raven: That is not good for you.**

 _ **Darque: I know. So I will go sleep. Bye.**_

 **Raven** **:...That was very random.**

 **Read and Review~**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter FIVE**_

"Ro-Rokudo Mukuro?" The voice that stutters out the name of her companion is fearful.

"Nay."

Ken and Chikusa obediently step to the side and Sakura moves forward, eyeing everyone before her. Her eyes first land on the baby dressed in a suit, noting him to be 'Reborn', the Arcobaleno.

Her eye glides right over the hostile grey haired teen holding sticks of dynamite and the eye patch wearing black haired teen holding a wooden sword. She look at the boy who matches Mukuro's description of 'Sawada Tsunayoshi'.

 _What did Mukuro want with such a scrawny looking child?_

She runs a delicate finger over the handle of the weapon that had become so important to her over the past years.

 _Sakura. Nagi. Chrome. She is-_ "My name is Chrome. Chrome Dokuro." The name still feels foreign on her tongue as her lips move to push out the sounds that make up her identity.

* * *

Someone standing to the side repeats her name. She ignores everyone and steps up to the Vongola X.

The eyepatched teen turns curiously to Tsunayoshi. "Is she someone you know?"

The boy jumps as he is addressed. "U-Uh...um..." He appears to glance over her shoulder at Ken and Chikusa, whom he seems to know. "The Mist Guardian...She isn't Rokudo Mukuro, is she?"

Sakura feels her companions subtly flinch at the name.

The grey haired teen steps forward protectively. "Tenth, don't be fooled! She's Mukuro; Mukuro must be possessing her!" He fixes her with a threatening glare. "He'll do anything to achieve what he wants; that's the kind of man he is!"

Sakura appreciates caution; it has kept her alive on more accounts than she can remember. However, this hotheaded teen appears to be blurting out whatever comes to mind and Sakura knows that such things can get you killed very easily. "Is that what you think?" She asks.

The teen's glare intensifies and Sakura is slightly impressed. Nagi shrinks away in her mind, though, and she does not appreciate him scaring the girl.

"Of course! Tenth, look at her weapon, and that eye patch! She is most definitely-"

"Not Rokudo Mukuro." Tsunayoshi finishes.

Sakura turns to the boy, slightly surprised. In that moment, his eyes are serious and hard. They are the eyes of someone who is willing to shoulder the weight of having the lives of others in their hands and lead. Then the look is gone and he is quickly stuttering out an explanation, but Sakura had seen what she needed to see. It appears that at the very least, he has half a brain more than the teen with the dynamites.

 _And here she was, thinking he was nothing but a unfortunate boy thrust into the harsh world of the mafia._

She is about to turn back to the grey haired teen when something catches her eye and makes her whip around to look more carefully at the Tenth. Just for a second, he is blond instead of brunette and he is blue eyed instead of brown.

That seconds passes, though, leaving Sakura to grasp at things that do not exist. She steels her mind and turns to glance over at the other side of the gym, where a baby almost covered from head to toe in dark purple stares impassively up at her. Sakura meets their gaze unwaveringly.

"And, what are we going to do? Do we let them join?"

She turns back to 'her side' at the question. The grey haired teen instantly leaps at the other's throat. "Of course not! We don't even know where they come from!"

Ken reares up at this, hands going to his teeth cartridge. Chikusa follows with a threatening flash of his yoyos.

The grey haired teen raises his dynamites. "Bring it on!"

Sakura sends soothing images of the marketplace of Konoha to Nagi, which seems to calm her nerves down a little. She has had enough of people frightening the girl. "Ken, Chikusa."

The warning tone in her voice is enough to make both of them turn to look at her and the look in her eyes are enough to make them lower their weapons. "This is not for you to decide." She turns to Tsunayoshi who looks increasingly uncomfortable with the turn of events. "Technically, this is your fight. I will respect your decisions." She says softly. "But it will do you well to think carefully."

"Bu-But that's so sudden and-and...it's important and-"

Reborn chooses this moment to interrupt. "But she's the only one that can fight as the Mist Guardian."

Sakura glances at the assassin before turning her gaze back to Tsunayoshi, who seems to come to a conclusion. "O-okay, I'll count on you."

"Tenth?"

Sakura watches the boy try to defend her and nods firmly.

* * *

The sound of flapping wings enters her ears and Sakura turn up to see a seagull carrying a blond baby with its claws. She can feel an energy of sorts radiating off both Reborn and this new arrival, and she turn to look at her opponent, who, while suppressed, releases the same air. "I have to see whether or not that midget is an Arcobaleno or not." The blond says.

Sakura is sure he is, but she does not say anything.

* * *

The two pink haired women standing to the side soon calls for attention. "The battle will begin soon. Will the two competitors step up to the battlefield?"

Sakura shakes away the wistful familiarity that wells up within her at the unique hair color and turns towards where she is directed. Someone calls out to her, stopping her in her steps. "Let's huddle!"

Sakura stays rooted to her spot.

 _She does not deserve such encouragement. She had left behind those she was supposed to encourage, abandoned them when they needed support._

"No." She says, the word coming out a little more harsh than intended. She takes a shallow breath. "I don't need something like that."

* * *

"This time, the battle field is the entire gym and everything within it can be used."

Having heard everything she needs to hear, Sakura tunes out everything else but the opponent in front of her.

* * *

 **So, chapter five?**

 ** _Darque: Like some people have pointed out, this story will follow canon more often than not, especially in the beginning, when Sakura is still trying to find her place in this world._**

 **Raven: She will come of her of her shell, though, some time in this story, so look forward to that.**

 _ **Darque: Then again, we're not exactly sure**_ **when _this will be, so yeah..._**

 **Raven: So yeah...**

 _ **Darque: I just said that. You're just repeating.**_

 **Raven: I saw why you trialed off, that's all.**

 ** _Darque:..._**

 **Raven:...Uh, well, yeah!**

 **Read and Review~**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter SIX**_

"Now let the battle of the Mist, Marmon versus Chrome Dokuro, begin!"

The art of countering illusions with illusions is something Sakura has always found fascinating. The thrill of such mental battles were not something she had been able to enjoy in the shinobi world, where she had lived in the same period as powerhouses such as Naruto and Sasuke and the Three Sannin or even the Akatsuki.

The Fourth War itself had started of being a clash of jutsu and had ended a brutal massacre of all those within the Shinobi nation.

However, here, she can put her mental capabilities against others who fight just like her. Her trident feels light in her hands as she twirls is above her head and taps the butt of the handle onto the ground. The floor instantly breaks up and Sakura jumps back, landing neatly onto one of the now falling slabs of wood.

This is her first real fight.

Her opponent, as expected of an Arcobaleno, does not disappoint. And as expected of an assassin combatant, he knows a weakness when he sees one.

* * *

Sakura doesn't know why, but something in the fight triggers a deep buried memory within her.

Maybe it was her own snakes. Maybe it was her own fire.

 _Sasuke glances over at her before he is torn into shreds. Kakashi's bleeding Sharingan eye flickers in her direction before he is suddenly a bloody red mess on the floor. Naruto's grin is torn off his face, to be replaced by blood and blood and more blood and_ why won't it stop...

And the worse part was that this was all caused not by her opponent, but by her own mind. She was fighting both Marmon of the Varia and the hallucinations her own mind bore and everyone around her could see only one opponent.

Or maybe, everyone but one.

' _Chrome, are you okay?'_

Sakura does not feel okay. She feels better now that someone has bothered to ask her that, though.

She tears through another of Mormons intricate illusions and suddenly the baby before her is a trying child staring up at his murderer.

 _What was she doing? Had the peaceful life she had unconsciously gotten used to really dulled her to this point?_

She rips apart the form in front of her and does not even pause to turn around to take down another as it disintegrates. Despite everything, her senses are still top notch and war bread instincts are not something she can forget. Even under the mental onslaught, her mind holds firm. She falters but never bends any more than that.

From his mental perch, Mukuro watches her. The way he does not offer to step in even when she falters makes something bubble within her. She may be nothing next to him, but he sees the potential in her, and that is enough for him to keep her beside him.

She will make sure it stays that way.

* * *

' _You have done well, my cute little Chrome.'_

Sakura knows that Mukuro's arrival is more to remind the Vongola of his presence than to take a burden off of her.

She has displayed a skill level unrelinquishing to her opponent and from his prowess, she knows that it will not be long before people begin to take interest.

Mukuro is simply reminding the people present that despite what she appears to be willing to offer them, she is still under his control and loyal to him. He is appearing as the looming, greater threat to her sudden, unknown arrival.

Still, there is a sense of soft understanding that spreads a certain warmth throughout her numbing form and she relinquishes control of her body.

* * *

Sakura slips out of her conscious, just like Mukuro had taught her, and finds herself hovering over the Illusionist's shoulder as he faces down the Arcobaleno.

' _You seem to be enjoying this.'_ She says, her form visible and her voice hearable only to the teen she is talking to.

Mukuro's voice is full of amusement. "The opponent is an Arcobaleno, after all."

' _You have limited time.'_ She warns.

"And you are still full of mysteries." Mukuro glances at her illusionary form from the corner of his eyes. "Who were those that drove you out of your own illusionary world?"

Sakura closes her eyes for a second and waits until the flashbacks fade away. ' _Some people very important.'_ She tells him softly. ' _And at the same time, no one at all.'_

* * *

She watches Mukuro dominate over Marmon with what is probably the closest thing to 'fondness' that her current self can muster. His firm presence is so unlike the mist he portrays and he is her current anchor to the world of living.

She raises her translucent hand and watches traces of Mukuro's illusions fade away like mist as new ones replace them. Currently, she is the illusion to which Mukuro is the caster.

She shall move to his will for as long as he continues to channel the Flames of life through her.

* * *

Sakura is forced back into her own body as Mukuro leaves it. The contact with the floor is more welcoming than not because she is yet to get used to the feeling of not having a physical body.

She feels tired, though, and she allows herself a few seconds of rest on the floor before she braces her arms and gets to her feet.

She can hear the people around her asking questions but she does not care for them. Nagi sends her an image of a bowl of ramen and she smiles faintly.

Without another word, she turns and walks out of the gym.

"Hey, where's she going?"

Sakura recognizes the voice to belong to the rude grey haired teen and does not stop.

"She can do whatever she wants." Ken snarls.

"She always goes off like that." Chikusa supplies.

At this, she slows her steps and glances behind her. She sends a faint smile their way and they don't see it. Sakura quickly turns back towards the exit before they do.

* * *

 _ **Darque: So, I know some people wanted Sakura go boom with this battle, but I just thought you know, maybe it's too soon?**_

 **Raven:...Plot wise or character wise?**

 _ **Darque: Bleh with the technicalities.**_

 **Raven:...**

 _ **Darque: But yeah, just a little twist so that Sakura is not forced to switch with Mukuro due to incapacitation. She can fight on if she wishes, but at this moment, her wishes mirror Mukuro's.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter SEVEN**_

Sakura can sense it when Mukuro is not tuned in on her, so she knows this for a fact when she wakes up one day to a slightly lighter mind. When she focuses hard enough, she can vaguely tell that Mukuro's mind is occupied with another, but not even she can tell who this 'other' is.

That does not matter, though, because she had gotten a summon from the Cervello. It appears Namimori High School would be the final battle ground and Sakura has to push back a familiar sense of thrill and disgust that bubbles up within her at the prospect of a fight.

She of all people should know that battles are not fun and games, because that period of naivety had long been torn out of her.

Instead, she bids Ken and Chikusa good bye and makes her way towards the field.

* * *

When she arrives, the air is already full of tension. The Varia stands to one side, Tsunayoshi and friends at the other, and Sakura quickly slips in behind them. The Cervello explains the rules and Sakura can only atch with cold understanding as even the injured are dragged in.

Lambo is barely a child.

She does not understand what these naive _children_ hope to accomplish in such a twisted world they were trying to venture into, but if Mukuro wanted her to join in, she would do just that. She glances across at the Guardians on her side, then at those fanning out behind Xanxus. She meets Marmon's gaze and steels her expression into a mask.

This time, she wouldn't lose.

* * *

Sakura notices the instant something foreign enters her body. Not using chakra to fight is a choice, but not even she can rewire years of chakra patterns beaten into her body. Instantly, her chakra begin moving in ways normal Flames cannot and almost as though adding fuel to fire, her Flames begin to burn away at the poison.

Chrome, who had begun noticing the moment breathing got more difficult, instantly relaxes.

She is glad Mukuro is elsewhere, because she has a feeling that the observant teen would have noticed something.

Her body has flushed out the poison in mere minutes, a respectable feat considering the lack of her hands and her own will, and Sakura slowly gets to her feet. She glances up to where the ring is placed and makes quick work of collecting it and sliding it onto her finger.

The Varia Mist guardian is still panting on the floor. He struggles to look at her with well concealed shock and Sakura hesitates before she presses the pressure points to numb his movement before she slides the ring into the indent of the wrist band. She then stands up, grips her trident, and begin making her way out of the gym.

"Why...?"

Sakura turns back to the Alcobaleno and shrugs. "Why indeed."

She closes the door softly behind her.

* * *

The first thing Sakura does is seeks for higher ground. However, half way up the stairs, she hears continuous thumps, like someone is beating a training pole and quickens her steps. She stops her venture up at the next floor and glances out the window just in time to see Hibari catch the ring that had been knocked off its stand by his body slams against it.

The teen shows no signs of noticing as she merely observes him clutches the ring between trembling fingers and slideing it into the indention.

The teen takes a few seconds to straighten himself then he is stalking off. Sakura quickly changes course so that she can watch him from above. Soon, she catches sight of a flash of blond and she sees the Storm Guardian of the Varia crouched on the ground. The Cloud teen is onto him in mere seconds and Sakura watches, impressed, as the Storm ring flies out of the Varia assassin's grasp and onto the roof.

Sakura opens the window and flips herself onto the small ledge outside. She makes sure to stick to the shadows and perches herself directly above the pair. The blond notices her first, and he pauses mid-sentence to look up at her, an eerie smirk on his face.

The Cloud teen looks up too, clearly annoyed at being interrupted. Still, it appears more hostile that she would have expected and she watches him straighten and glare in her directly. "What?" He snaps.

Deep black eyes stare into her violet orb and Sakura blinks at the images that flash before her eyes. "You..." She pauses and her mind pictures the teen before her with red spinning eyes. "...are familiar."

The teen scoffs.

The teen's glare intensifies and Sakura notes that there might be more to him than she knows. "...Stay out of my way."

Sakura would have done just that, but the blond is preparing to fight and she cannot just leave him behind, especially when she does not how well he can hold his ground against a trained assassin. "Perhaps after this." She pointedly turns to look to the Varia member. The blond's grin widens and Sakura instinctively tenses, because unlike those of the Vongola, she can tell that he _knows_ what blood felt like on his hands.

All of the Varia did, probably.

The Cloud Guardian's glare intensifies. "I do not-"

And the assassin chooses that moment to attack. The Cloud Guardian whips around to block the barrage of knives that fly towards him and Sakura falters for a second, because those who live in a world of peace should never wish for battle, but then again, this is slightly different.

The world of the mafia is probably as corrupt as her own. Any world with bloodshed was corrupt.

She notices it the moment something is wrong, because she is sure the Cloud teen had dodged the attack, but there is clearly blood on his cheek. Sakura jumps down from her perch, interrupting the blond's onslaught. Her trident knocks away all the projectiles and she ignores the Cloud Guardian's angry growl, because this is a battle and she will not be distracted.

Her keen eyes catch sight of a glint of silver and she realizes that the Storm Varia is moving his fingers in a distinctive way.

She _recognizes it._

The knives move according to the movement of his fingers and Sakura finds herself automatically reading his movements.

 _He reminded her of Sasori._

Her mind instantly links the two points together and as Sakura knocks back the next barrage of knives, she feels the slight tug of something attached to it.

"Wires."

The moment the word is out of her mouth, someone shoves roughly past her. The Cloud Guardian spins his tonfas, knocking away the next barrage of weapons and successfully shredding the wire with the chains attached to his own weapons.

"That is just the trick weak animals might use to try and survive."

Sakura pauses in confusion at the teen's choice of words and the blond seems to realize that they outscale him in power. "I pass." He dodges the Cloud's attack. "I pass." He repeats. "This is a team fight; I need to go find the others." He is quick to retreat.

Sakura entertains the thought of chasing after him but dismisses the idea hen the black haired teen beside her falters in his steps. "Kumo-"

"Get lost."

Sakura frowns and steps closer, just to spite him. "You are hurt."

"Hn." Hibari seems to roll her eyes at her obvious observation. Sakura reaches into her pouch and pulls out a first aid kit.

 _Old habits died hard. In the end, she was a medic._

She knows she can easily overpower the teen if she wants to, but out of consideration for both his injuries and his pride, she does not. Instead, she holds up some clean cloth and stands there with the air of someone who has the patience to remains in the same position forever.

The teen glares harder but actually appears impressed when she does not falter. Finally, something seems to click in his mind and he gives in, almost like he is doing her a favor. She makes quick work of his biggest injuries and makes sure to clean the smaller one. The teen shakes her off the moment she is done. "Stay out of my way." He repeats.

Sakura watches him stalk off and notes that it is in the direction the Rain Guardian has ventured off toward at the beginning. She does not know what else to do, so she begins making her way after the Cloud Guardian, who whips around to glare some more.

Sakura feels Chrome's giddy reaction underneath her own wariness; she too probably sees his similarities, and a small smile makes her way onto her face. She quickens her pace, just to bug him some more. She ignores the teen's growl and the way he purposefully turns away.

 _She was being so unfair._

She realizes she sees Naruto in Sawada Tsunayoshi and Sasuke in the Cloud Guardian.

 _She was shoving her own ideals onto people that didn't even know of them._

 _She was forcing images of her bloody past onto a group of_ children.

She quickens her pace, as if to outrun the haunting thoughts.

The best she can do is to protect them, she decides.

* * *

 **So, here's chapter seven~**

 _ **Darque: Sakura seems lost, doesn't she?**_

 **Raven** **: She sure does. It's like watching you try to figure out the difference between 2x + 2y and 2x x 2y.**

 _ **Darque: I was going to say it's 4xy for both, but I'm wrong, right? I always know when I'm wrong, because that the answer I first came up with, and it's usually wrong.**_

 **Raven: You are right-**

 _ **Darque: !**_

 _ **Raven: That you are wrong.**_

 _ **Darque: See what I mean?**_

 **Raven: Nothing to be proud of.**

 **Read and Review~**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter EIGHT**_

Sakura follows the Cloud Guardian all the way into a broken part of the school building. She has never been in a school like this before, so everything is new for her.

Schools were meant to teach one a way to open up a path into the future. The academy did not count, because it hadn't taught her how to create her own path.

 _Instead, she had learnt to kill others and take theirs._

Sakura catches on when the Rain Guardian calls the black haired teen 'Hibari'.

 _A prickly name, just like its owner._

"An-Oh, hey!"

Sakura looks up to see the Rain Guardian glancing over at her.

"I'm glad to see you're fine." The teen scrambles to his feet and grins.

Sakura blinks in surprise and remembers that the Rain Guardian had been the more cheerful of the group. "...Thank you." She replies, unsure of what else she could say.

Hibari chooses that moment to lean against a wall and Sakura watches him without moving to help.

The Rain Guardian decides to rush over, though, and is unfazed when the Cloud Guardian glares at him. "You okay?"

Sakura turns away and peers out into the distance. She can faintly hear Sawada Tsunayoshi and the Varia Boss fighting.

It means the boy is still alive.

"Player sub." The Rain Guardian says. "You can leave the rest to me. You too, Chrome."

It takes Sakura a second to notice that he is talking to her and she turns back to face him. "No need." She tells him. "I am perfectly fine."

The Rain Guardian frowns. "Are you sure?"

Sakura nods and pointedly begins to walk towards the building.

"Oh, if you say so. Wait up! I'll go with you."

Sakura doesn't slow her steps but she does not quicken them either. The Rain Guardian catches up to her just as she steps out of the building.

"Where are you going?"

Sakura shrugs.

The Rain Guardian scratches his head uncomfortably. "Well, why don't we, uh..."

Sakura watches the boy and just as he visibly begins to appear uncomfortable, takes pity on him. "I will see if I can catch any of the others." She says.

The teen brightens up. "I'll come with you."

Sakura narrows her eyes but does not refuse. "If you wish." She makes a sharp turn and begins making her way towards the other side of the school. She knows that out of the Varia, the Storm was free and the Mist was cured. She could only assume that the Storm had freed his allies and hope that Hibari had been accurate with his aim of the Storm Ring.

Just then, they hear a subtle explosion, the sound nowhere near loud enough to cover up the sounds from the Sky Battle, but Sakura hears it clearly and the Rain Guardian too seems to notice. "Did you hear that?'

Sakura nods. "That way." She points and realizes that it is the direction of the gym. She takes off and the boy beside her quickly follows.

* * *

The two of them arrive at the gym soon after but Sakura could hear the sounds of a scuffle from a while away. Her hand shoots out to stop the Rain Guardian from opening the door and she places a palm over the metal and closes her eyes, trying to grasp of the situation inside.

She can tell there are illusions being used, and that there are four people inside. "I'd say Taiyou, Kaminari and Arashi, Kiri and Arashi."

"Huh?"

Sakura reaches out and opens the door. The moment she takes a step into the gym, she releases the energy she had been building up within her, instantly dispelling all the illusions. The Vongola Storm and Sun, both whom had been restrained by illusions, are freed and they collapse onto the floor, unable to support themselves.

"Ah, look who's here, hm?" It is the Storm Varia that greets her.

Sakura draws her tridens and extends it to it's full length. "I apologize for intruding." She says. A part of her regrets not incapacitating the Varia Mist Guardian.

Her mind instantly takes in the picture. She has the Mist ring and the teen behind her has the Rain ring. She catches sight of an unconscious Vongola Lightning Guardian lying a few feet away. The Lightning, Storm and the Sun ring are in the grasps of the Varia but from where she comes from, the only certain way to do that is to kill him, and Sakura does not want to stain Chrome's hands like that, not unless she has to.

Sakura spins her trident and taps it against the floor. The ground instantly shatters and she feels it the moment the Varia mist moves to counter it.

The Rain Guardian rushes over to his friends and Sakura sends out another flare of Flame energy in order to stop the opponent Mist's attempt to stop him.

Next time, she will make sure to learn their names; it will be easier to put names than titles to faces.

The Rain Guardian rushes back to her side and whispers a few words to her. Sakura considers this then nods. She summons a huge pit of fire and throws a few restraining illusion in their general direction. She knows the two from Varia still have three of their rings, but she thinks it is right to prioritize safety hoping it will be enough to slow them for even a second. She then sprints out of the gym after the Rain Guardian. The moment she steps out, she feels a surge of energy as the Sun Guardian swings back his fist, and it is almost like watching a replay of her past, for when his fist makes contact with walls of the gym, the entire building structure blows up.

It is like everything is chasing her.

* * *

 **So, more action.**

 _ **Darque: Ye, Sakura/Chrome is kinda a little dull right now...yeah...She'll get better soon though.**_

 **Raven: Little by little.**

 _ **Darque: Yup.**_

 **Raven: Yeah.**

 _ **Darque: That's about it...Yeah.**_

 **Read and Review~**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter NINE**_

The five of them take cover in one of the destroyed structures of the school building. Sakura gives her fellow guardians a quick glance over. She has medical supplies in her pouch and knows more than enough about treating injuries without chakra to be able to fix them right up.

"I hate to admit it, but you saved us."

The words are muttered quietly, but Sakura catches them anyways. She glances over at the Storm Guardian, who is not looking up, and she nods faintly.

 _She had saved someone._

Though everyone is breathing heavily from their escape, the Rain Guardian is the first to recover. "So, what now?"

"Cloud is fine." Sakura supplies quietly. "Though he will probably be unable to rejoin the...the fight for a while longer."

"Boss is fighting Xanxas" The Storm Guardian snarls. "That bastard, I'll-"

The Rain Guardian places a placating hand on the other's teen's shoulder and Sakura withdraws a little to consider their options. The rings are separated between the two sides. Her and Rain-

"Names." She says.

The arguing Guardians pause and turn to look at her.

Sakura meets their gaze without flinching. "Tell me your names."

The three glance at each other.

"I just realized, we haven't introduced ourselves yet, have we?" Rain grins. "I'm Yamamoto Takeshi."

"Gokudera Hayato." Storm says curtly.

"I am Sasagawa Ryouhei!" Sun declares.

Sakura nods. "I am Chrome."

"Yeah, we heard." Hayato slowly stands up. "Now, what do we do?" He says this more to himself that as a question to others and Sakura does not address it. SHe had seen the changes the pill the Arcobaleno had given Sawada Tsunayoshi before his fight seemed to be a suppressor of some sort and she also had an idea that the boy was slightly more than he let on. There was no place like a battlefield to gain experience and unlock hidden potential. After all, if one did not die to fear and oppression, they came out stronger because of it.

Still, was it worth it? Was the experience worth the price that may be the innocence of a boy who should not know war?

Sakura calls out softly to Mukuro in her head, but he still feels very far away. However, a few seconds later, he sends her a mental image, a picture of how things must go.

Sakura recalls what Mukuro had stated the Varia were planning, and thinks of the weight placed on the young shoulders of the boys on 'her side'. She thinks of how she is, both literally and in their eyes, the pawn of a man who had tried to kill them, and decides that it could not get any worse.

A small illusion, merely a brush to the senses, is all she needs to slip the Rain ring away from Yamamoto.

"Wait-Chrome?"

She ignores the curious cries of the boy and leaps backwards to create space between her and the other guardians. "I apologize, I will be borrowing this for a while." She darts off without another word and she can hear the questioning calls as they chase her. Sakura slips through the small space made available due to the destruction of the place and makes her way up onto the roof, from where she can overlook the entire battle field. From there, she can see Sawada Tsunayoshi on the ground, exhausted, and the frozen form of Xanxas close by.

Still, Mukuro reminds her that the battle is not over. He says no words, for he is only partially with her, but the slight excitement to his shadow is enough to tell her there is more happening, and this is all a part of his plan. She is not one to stand in the way of his schemes.

The rings leave her hands slowly, almost as though they do not want to separate from her fingers. Mammon is skilled enough to know when something is booby trapped with an illusion and he is quick to snatch the last two rings of the guardians from the air. They instantly begin to glow and from her perch above them all, she watches the ice melt away from Xanxas. She watches her fellow guardians rush over just in time to see the Storm Varia slip the sky ring onto the older successor's finger.

And she knows this is all within the consideration of her master, most likely a path he had laid out for them, because the little she can sense of him is full of childish amusement and excitement.

There is a surge of power before it bursts and fades away into nothing.

"The Ring rejected him." Sakura notes curiously, and in that instant, she knows that Mukuro had, somehow, known this all along.

'This is my playground, my dear Chrome.'

Sakura perks at the familiar voice. "Ah, yes, of course."

A faint laughter fills her mind. 'No one else is allowed to pick the game we play, but me, and yet, the Varia are involving some unwanted bugs.'

Sakura sees an image of men clad in black heading towards the school and she understands his words. The next step of his game is starting, and she is once again a pawn of his. She trots over to the edge of the roof, so she is standing directly above the group of Sawada Tsunayoshi guardians. "I'll be off to play my part, then."

Something warm brushes her cheek. 'Someone is coming, Chrome.' He tells her. 'We may not be allies, but I can come close to trusting him to play his.'

Sakura nods to acknowledge his words then jumps off the roof.

The metal of her trident knocks down the Varia men that had arrived at the scene right below her and to the side, she hears something metal and heavy land on the ground.

The guardians begin yelling her at once, no doubt about her little theft of the rings, but all she does is turn to look at the new arrival, the man who was the other pawn in Mukuro's newest game.

Lancia, the Strongest man in Northern Italy, someone who had been under Mukuro's control. She had seen the man a few times in Mukuro's mind.

The Varia are assassins, cold blooded killers, and they are smart enough to know when there is no way of winning. It is two versus five, three at best because Xanxas does not look like he can stand any time soon, let alone draw a weapon.

The Vongola rings are taken from them and Sakura makes a gesture the moment she knows the laser caging is down. Ken and Chikusa send one more glare in the general direction of the Vongola before they slip off first.

Sakura watches the children celebrate, her stunt momentarily forgotten. Reborn approaches her. "You knew something."

Sakura sees no need to deny something from someone who knew the answer to the question he was asking. "I did."

"Everything?"

"Well, I did not, but Mukuro-sama did." She eyes the newcomer, the man whose presence alone had turned the tides of the battle. "It was Mukuro-sama that called him." She tells him. "You are all still a part of his game."

"I see." Reborn lets out a short laugh and Sakura finds herself smiling a little too.

"I wish you a good night, Arcobaleno."

* * *

 **Here's chapter nine~**

 _ **Darque: So, the thing is, I was kind of unsure about this one.**_

 **Raven: Mhm.**

 _ **Darque: Just a little, you know?**_

 **Raven: Yeah, I get you.**

 _ **Darque: I know right.**_

 **Raven: Yep, definitely.**

 _ **Darque:...**_

 **Raven:...**

 **Read and Review~**


	10. Chapter 10

**_ChapterT EN_**

The day after the Vongola victory over the Varia, Sakura receives the Mist Ring via delivery. Ken and Chikusa eyes the piece of metal warily as Sakura gives it a check over before she slowly slips it onto her finger. She feels a sudden surge of power and the flames within her swirl to life, almost as though the dormant part of her was being awakened by the Mist ring.

Ken is by her side in an instant. "You okay, byon?"

Sakura takes a deep breath and manages to calm herself down. "I...Yes, I'm fine." She raises the ring up so she can see it more clearly. "This is certainly very powerful." She says. "I didn't realize when I first wore it. Maybe that's because it hadn't accepted us as its rightful owner. I wonder how that works. Perhaps the rings are all linked together and can recognize-"

She cuts off when she realizes that Ken and Chikusa are watching her with amusement in their eyes.

"You enjoy theories." Chikusa notes.

"You're usually quiet, but you actually talk a lot when it comes to these things." Ken said, grinning.

Sakura bites her lip and glances down. She did like theories. Focusing on numbers and equations and the way things worked kept the images away. Not to mention, she had spent a lot of her past life thinking about things like that. She shakes her head to clear her thoughts. "I do." She agrees easily. "I find them fascinating." She flexes her fingers to make sure the ring does not impair her movements before she grabs the bag containing her trident. "I believe it is my turn to go buy dinner." She says. "I will be heading out now. Is there anything you want in particular?"

"I'll go with you." Ken immediately offers. He then turns red and huffs. "I-I just don't trust you to remember everything."

"Chrome is much more reliable that you." Chikusa says as he too stand up from the sofa. "I have things I want to buy too." He adds.

Sakura inwardly smiles at their lack of subtilety but she nods. "Okay."

* * *

It is only several days later, as she is walking back towards Kokuyo Land after a day of wandering, when something comes flying in her direction. She neatly steps to the side and waits until the object has stopped rolling before she moves forward to inspect it. The purple tube like object glints in the sun and after a few checks, Sakura deens it to not be anything too dangerous. Wondering where it had come from and if it had been aimed at her, she reaches out to touch it.

Even before her fingers have completely reached it, the area around her is overwhelmed by smoke. Sakura feels a tug and is unable to step backwards in time. Instead, she covers her face to try and shield herself. A few seconds later she feels a jolt and she topples over.

The air around her is different and the sound of the public vanishes. Sakura tenses and quickly looks up.

She is back in Kokuyo Land. He hand flies to her trident and she draws her weapon before she glances around, realizing something is different.

Kokuyo Land has always been a little draft, a little broken, but now it appears worse than ever, as though years had passed. She curses her lack of watch or phone and hurries over to the windows to see if she could gauge anything. The sun is in the process of setting and Sakura notes that it appears to be the same time as before she had been hit by the purple object.

She notes with a start that neither Ken nor Chikusa are anywhere in her immediate vicinity and is about to go look around when something tickles the edges of her senses. She rushes over to the door and runs her hand over the wood.

Her safety trigger illusions are no longer there. She closes her eyes and does a quick check of the building. Nothing reacts to her flames...Her eye flies to her finger, where the Mist ring sits, encased in what looks like crystal. She reaches within her and notes with a sigh of relief that she can still call on her flames, just like before she had received the ring. She taps at the casing curiously and there is a sharp sound.

It does not look like it can be removed easily.

What was going on?

She tries to call out to Mukuro in her mind but she does not get a reply. In fact, he is completely silent. She bites her lip, then realizes with a jolt that her uncertainty is making Nagi worry and she immediately tries to calm down. The girl is still within her, so that is a good thing.

Sakura takes one more glance around when she hears something, perhaps a can, being kicked. Her trident grows to its full length and she whips around towards the sound.

White feathers float to the ground before her and at the doorway stands a bespectacled man with dark red hair. In his hand is a whip like weapon coated in Rain flames and beside him flies a own surrounded by blue Rain flames. She has no idea if animals can channels flames but she decides that it is safe to assume that this man is a Rain nature.

"I didn't expect to see you as your self from ten years ago." The man says. "However, I'm very glad that the information given to me about here was not false."

Sakura tenses, immediately not liking the way the man was staring at her.

"It's here, it's here, it really is here." The man chants mockingly. "The Chrome Dokuro feasting party."

"You seem to know who I am." Sakura says. "Who are you?"

"I am Glo Xinia." The man raises a small container and the owl is sucked into it, flames and all. "From your reaction, I guess you don't understand the fact that you've time traveled?"

Sakura narrows her eyes. _Time travel?_

"I'd say you're like a lost Alice in Wonderland. Still, I didn't think you'd be such a brat ten years ago." He said. "I'd really rather prefer your older self."

Nagi sent waves of fear through her and Sakura confirmed in her own mind that no, she really did not like this guy.

 _Don't worry, Nagi, I've got you._ Sakura draws herself and casually spins her trident around in her hands. _We need to figure out what exactly is going on. Let us take care of him quickly._

Glo Xinia begins to laugh and squints at something. "That ring is most definitely the Vongola Ring. It appears to be hardened with something. Perhaps that's why it didn't appear on the radars..."

"Get out." Sakura says sharply. "You are not welcome here."

" _You are not welcome here_." Glo Xinia repeats mockingly. "That's it, let me hear more of our bell like voice!"

 _He's a creep._ Sakura tells Nagi in her mind. _Creeps are to be avoided_.

* * *

 **So, the Future arc is here~**

 _ **Darque: Nothing much on the time between the Inheritance battle and the Future arc, so no fillers.**_

 **Raven: Not to mention, we've been looking forward to this.**

 _ **Darque: Very excitement.**_

 **Raven: I agree.**

 _ **Darque: By the way, next chapter is a major issue for us,.**_

 **Raven: Maybe not an issue, but more like a very important point?**

 _ **Darque; To do or not to do.**_

 **Raven: Indeed.**

 **Read and Review~**


	11. Chapter 11

**_Chapter ELEVEN_**

Sakura spins her trident and sends columns of fire shooting up towards the ceiling. She catches Glo Xinia in one of them but the man's smirk before the fire consumes him alerts her that something is wrong.

"Illusions are techniques that convince you that things that aren't there, are there." He says. "Such childish plays wont work on me!"

Sakura holds her trident outwards. She is more than confident in close range combat, but she does not want to force Nagi into something she is unused to. "Perhaps you should invest a little in these childish plays." She calls out. "It might help you with your...fetishes. You seem to have an awful lot of them."

The man laughs. "Your techniques, your attitude, all of it is similar to that man." He says. "However, none of his pathetic tricks worked on me and Mukuro could do nothing against Gufo di Pioggia, my Rain Owl. His beaten up form was indeed pathetic!"

Sakura's eyes widen at Glo Xinia's words but her mind is quick to catch up with logic. If Nagi's organs still functioned, Mukuro was not dead. That meant that he had probably fought this man through one of his vessels, most likely her, for this man seemed to know her future self.

Those two points are enough to prove that Mukuro is indeed alive, which then leads to the next issue. Glo Xinia did not seem to be lying but Sakura knows that Mukuro's illusions are far better than hers. Even someone who claims to be immune to such techniques could fall for them if they were unprepared. Not to mention, Mukuro was plenty adept of close range combat.

Had Mukuro lost on purpose? In that case, why?

"If I recall, you only know of things from ten years ago, huh?" Glo Xinia says, then raises the box from before. He lifts his other hand and his ring glos with Rain Flames. He inserts the ring into the slot of the box, which then opens up and the owl flies out at her.

The tranquility nature of the rain flames wipes out her pillars and a huge wave of water comes crashing down towards her. Sakura tenses against the clearly real water that rushes past her, smashing through the windows of the building and leaving her soaked to the core. She is knocked onto the floor and her ribs explode in a moment of pain before she forces herself to not feel it. Instantly, her body begins to feel heavier and she curses and her limbs seem to fall asleep.

"The nature of Rain Flames is tranquility." Glo Xinia says. "The Rain Owl's flames will douse your flames and stop yoru attacks. It will halt your body's functions and make you fall unconscious. It appears to be time to take your ring...and you."

His words makes disgust well up within her and she struggles to shake off the dullness.

 _'You must not fall asleep, my dear Chrome.'_

It is Mukuro's voice.

Sakura feels something within her mind connect and her arms seem to function again. She tests out her weight on her legs and manages to bring herself up straight again.

"Are you not going to run again?" Glo Xinia asks. "You did that before. When Mukuro was defeated, you jumped out a window. I guess you hate me that much." He smirks. "That makes it all the more worth it to torture you!"

Sakura can think of several places this man should be, the top two being at TI and the hospital, but she does not say anything. Instead, she calls out within her mind. 'Mukuro-sama? Are you there?'

Something flickers in the corner of her mind. _'I am, Chrome. I have always been right in front of you.'_

Sakura tenses and carefully looks up to meet the unwavering eyes of the Rain Owl.

The Rain Owl that did not seem very rain any more. As if on cue, its left eye cracks away to reveal a red iris. Within it is the familiar word of 'six'.

Somewhere, she hears Glo Xinia talking but Sakura ignores him in favor of starting at the owl. She is not imagining the six. Things begin to click together in her head. Not the entire image, but bits and pieces of what maybe was, what maybe is to come, and how Mukuro played a part in all of this.

As if suddenly realizing her lack of attention, Glo Xinia whips around to look in the direction of her gaze. He stares, before something seems to click in his mind. "No...nononono! Six, like Rokudo Mukuro!"

 _'It has been a while, Glo Xinia. Your ability to grasp the situatio_ _n never ceases to amaze me.'_

"Why...could it be that time?"

Sakura does not know what exactly they are talking about. Mukuro is here and Nagi has calmed down since his arrival, in this situation, that is all she can ask for.

Mukuro's voice once again reaches her mind. _'Listen well, Chrome. For reasons, I cannot use too much power. I cannot let you escape from Glo Xinia. You must defeat him.'_

Sakura shifts the grip on her trident. From the moment Mukuro had appeared in this form, she had suspected as such. 'Okay.'

 _'You will be fine.'_ Mukuro says. _'After all, you have the Vongola ring. That ring will lend you the power to fight. Are you ready, Chrome?'_

Sakura feels the crystal around the metal thaw away and wants to laugh. Did the man just simply know everything? Instead, she nods firmly. 'Of course.'

 _'Your resolve will call upon the flames from the ring, which will strengthen your illusions.'_ Mukuro explains.

Sakura wordlessly raises her hand and thinks of Mukuro, of Ken and Chikusa, and of Nagi. She feels a surge of power and rings lights on fire, more strongly and more powerful than anything she had done before. She unconsciously gasps.

"Oh? A girl who is only one half of the Mist Guardian is able to call upon Flames from the Ring?" Glo Xinia laughs. He really is quick at adapting. "Well, I will show you something interesting!" He pulls out another box. "You see, as a general of the Millefiore family, I am given both a main box and a sub box. The Owl you possessed was a sub box, a weapon I use on worthless opponents. My main power lies within my main box, within Kraken di Pioggia!" With a surge of Rain Flames, something is summoned from the box.

Sakura watches with increasing incredulity as the new animal reveals itself to be a huge squid.

'This man really has issues.' She notes.

Mukuro laughs softly. _'Indeed.'_

Sakura spins her trident and creates more pillars of fire. The intensity is so much more than what she is used to and she double takes in surprise. However, Glo Xinia walks through them as if they are nothing. "The power of the ring has raised their realism, but in the end, they are nothing more than a deception."

Sakura is beginning to feel annoyed with Glo Xinia, but there is not much she can do as long as this man is fixed on the belief that illusions cannot hurt him. She begins to consider the possibility of engaging in close combat when Mukuro begins to talk again.

 _'Chrome, what is it that you hold most dear?'_

Sakura glances over at the owl.

 _'An illusion can only be as real as the caster's grasp on reality. By basing your illusions on something you consider to be your anchor to reality, they become unbreakable.'_

An illusion born of something one held most dear.

Something yellow and black and grey flash before her eyes. There is sky blue and red and flashes or orange and then there is fire. Angry red fire and jet black fire. A hungry fire that threatens to consume her mind.

The flames from the Vongola Ring begins to shift and before her begins to emerge several figures.

Time seems to slow as she freezes and stares at the forms. Forms that warm her heart and chill her to the core.

* * *

 **So, chapter eleven~**

 ** _Darque: So, we decided to do it. We're going to jump in and deal with the maybe consequences later._**

 **Raven: It'll certainly be hard to work around it, but I think we can get it to work.**

 ** _Darque: Actually, to be fair, it wasn't THAT obvious this chapter. Just hints at the end._**

 **Raven: Obvious hints.**

 ** _Darque:...and things will become much more clear next chapter...Maybe_**

 **Raven: So look forward to that...Maybe**

 **Read and Review~**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter TWELVE**_

"It's been such a long time-Hey, you look different."

"Dobe, is it actually her?"

"Of course it is, can't you feel it, Teme?"

"I agree with Dickless, that is most definitely her. I cannot say if she looks better now than when she was ugly, though."

"Now now, boys, let us not fight."

"Taicho is right, we were called for a reason."

Sakura stands and stares as before her very eyes, Team Seven comes to life.

Naruto grins at her in what is probably the brightest smile she she has seen in a very long time. Her knees weaken and she collapses. She feels hands under her arms that pull her back to her feet and a something warm and comforting plants itself on her head.

"Are you that happy to see us?" Kakashi asks, and his single eye crinkles into a smile.

"I believe she is." Sai says from her left. "Though why she would be happy to be Dickless and and Traitor-kun is beyond my understanding."

"Shut up." Sasuke sneers from her right. "I question why she's happy to see _you_."

" _Guys_." Yamato scolds.

"No." Sakura whispers. "No, no, no, no, no, no. Why are you here? Why?"

"You aren't happy to see us?" Naruto asks, looking crestfallen.

"No, I mean-Naruto, you, you're all-" She glances over at the Owl, who is watching the scene with unblinking eyes. "You're all _dead_."

"How would you know?" Sasuke scoffs. "You left before it all ended."

" _I didn't._ I didn't have a choice. I don't even remember what happened." Sakura's hands flew to her head and she crouched down onto the ground. "Why are you here?" She asks weakly.

"Because you called." Kakashi says. "Because despite everything, the thing you hold most dear lies in the past you cannot escape.

" _No._ "

Sasuke sighs. "As annoying as ever." A sword appears in his hands and he points it at Glo Xinia, who has been watching everything unfold with curiosity in his eyes. "Do we beat this guy up?"

"Yeah! You're the creep who's been pestering her!" Naruto whirls around and the marks on his cheeks darken. "I have no idea who you are, but you're going down, 'ttebayo!"

 _Sasuke drew his sword. Naruto flared his chakra. They smiled at each other and charged into the fray._

 _Neither of them come back._

"Why are we fighting?" Yamato asks, ever the rational one. Still, he drops into a stance.

"I read that stalkers are given restraining orders." Sai says. He raises his brush and a scroll.

"That is correct." Kakashi nods and fiddles with his eyepatch. "We'll be giving this guy a Team Seven one."

 _Yamato summons a wall of wood. Sai flies overhead on his bird. Kakashi's hand flares with lightning._

 _The wood crumbles, the bird falls, and the lightning dies._

"Don't-"

Naruto grins over his shoulder at her. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. We've got you."

 _Sakura-chan._

* * *

Glo Xinia is left in the dust, injured and just barely not dead. Sakura does not even realize this, though, because before her flashes images of swirling blue chakra and cackling lightning and a huge blue form of pure chakra-

Sakura jolts out from her daze and notices Team Seven are lingering near her but they are not coming any closer. However, they all watch her with love and care and so much more in their eyes and Sakura reaches out blindly towards them.

' _Chrome.'_ Mukuro's voice pierces through her thoughts and brings her back to reality.

' _Illusions, Real Illusions.'_ Mukuro says slowly. ' _Real Illusions hidden within Illusions, Illusions born of Real Illusions. Lies that are hidden within Truths. Lies hidden within truths. That is the mist.'_ The owl spreads its wings. ' _And as one of the Mist, you cannot allow your own creations to lead you away.'_

Sakura's eyes widen and she turns back to Team Seven to see than indeed, they are slowly fading away.

"Wait-"

"It was nice seeing you again, Sakura-chan." Naruto grins. "I'm glad you look well."

"Though you do seem to be involved in trouble wherever you go." Sasuke huffs.

"You are also Ugly wherever you are."

"Sai! That's not a nice thing to say!"

"Maa maa, Yamato, calm down. It really was nice to see you well, Sakura." Kakashi smiles at her, then turns to the owl. "You take care of her, yes?"

Then they are gone in a swirls of mist and Sakura is left grasping at nothing more than faded illusions.

Mukuro watches her as he speaks. ' _Glo Xinia's misfortune was that he was a piece in my plan. Thanks to everything, we managed to take him out without me having to use a lot of power. This will not, in any way, affect my major plans for the near future.'_

Sakura puts her trident away and glances around at the aftermath of the fight. "What exactly is going on?" She asks out loud.

' _I cannot say just yet.'_ Mukuro says, almost teasingly. ' _But I will not have to. There is someone coming for you. He will take you where you are most needed.'_

Sakura turns to the owl and watches it hop over to the box it had been released from. "Then I shall await your orders."

' _That is a good girl.'_ There is a pause. ' _Sakura.'_

Sakura tenses. "My name is Chrome." She says. "Chrome Dokuro. Sakura died a long time ago."

The owl turns to look at where Team Seven had once stood. ' _A very long time ago, it seems.'_

* * *

 **So...chapter twelve.**

 _ **Darque: So...Team Seven.**_

 **Raven: Yeah.**

 _ **Darque: We actually did it.**_

 **Raven: I know.**

 _ **Darque: We initially planned to have Mukuro and the Kokuyo gang, just like in canon, but this idea hit me and I decided to go with my gut.**_

 **Raven: The 'consequences' of Mukuro finding out about 'Sakura' will come later...maybe.**

 _ **Darque: This meeting will also allow Sakura to develop...maybe.**_

 **Raven: We're the authors, we should know.**

 _ **Darque: but we don't, cause you know,**_ **gut feeling.**

 **Raven: But yeah, more to come.**

 **Read and Review~**

* * *

 **Dear Readers,**

 **Happy New Year~ (A little too early, or a little too late, maybe.)**

 **Thank you for everything up to this point, and we hope you continue to support us throughout 2018.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Darque and Raven.**


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter THIRTEEN**_

The Rain Owl, now a Mist Owl, collapses soon after and Mukuro's presence vanishes. Sakura sinks down into the ground, recognizing that perhaps she was in some state of shock.

Sakura-chan.

"No." She gasps out. "No, no, no, no."

She feels Nagi quiver within her and she takes harsh, shallow breaths in an attempt to breath in more deeply.

"Chrome!"

Sakura looks up _because yes she was now Chrome call her Chrome_ and sees a man with grey hair in a black suit standing at the doorway. Sakura's hand flies to her trident again but she is suddenly very very tired and-

"Wait, I'm extremely not an enemy!"

Sakura narrows her eye and does not drop her weapon but she does not raised it any further. "Who are you?"

The man stops a little away from her and places a hand on his chin. "You really are ten years younger."

Sakura's eye widens. "Sun?" She asks uncertainty, because she then remembers what Glo Xinia had said about time travel and the man before her was most certainly not the teen she had met a few days ago.

Still, the man's expression melts away into a wide grin. "You are extremely correct."

Sakura's knees finally gives way and when she falls, Sasagawa Ryohei is there to catch her. She clutches her bag and the Mist Owl and he easily throws her up and into his arms. "I see you've taken care of the creep." He says, eyeing Glo Xinia.

Sakura nods, her head feeling heavy.

"Rest." Ryohei tells her. "You did extremely well."

Sakura allows the man's uncharacteristically soft voice and warm arms to lull her to sleep.

* * *

Ryohei runs a hand over one of the locks of the doorways to the Vongola hideout then adjusts his hold on the girl in his arms. Chrome has been unconscious since their departure from Kokuyo land and that worries him just a little, because he knows the girl has always slept light and never for too long. Over the years it has gotten better, he knows, because he has been on his fair share missions with the girl of his time.

The door is opened and he steps through. He makes sure it locks behind him before he ventures in deeper.

"Sasagawa-san!"

Ryohei turns around to face Kusakabe Tetsuya, who comes running over. "Yo."

"You're back." The man glances over Chrome before he reaches out for the Owl. "We will run checks on it." He says.

Ryohei nods in understanding. The man rushes off and Ryohei takes a deep breath before he continues onwards.

He finally stops in front of a door and when it opens, he is met with the sight of Reborn, Tsuna, Hayato and Takeshi from ten years ago sitting around a table with Lal Mirch and Giannini. "Sasagawa Ryohei has returned."

"Turf Top!"

He grins a little at the familiar name. "Yo, it's been awhile." Nostalgia fills him. "Well, maybe not for you."

Bianchi rushes in, probably having been alerted by Tetsuya, and places a hand on Chrome's forehead. "I'll take her."

Ryohei nods and hands over the girl.

Tsuna looks both relieved and worried. "The reading from Kokuyo Land was her."

Hayato watches his sister carry Chrome away with narrowed eyes. "I don't know who she was fighting, but it looks like it was a rough battle." He notes.

"Will she be okay?" Tsuna asks.

"Leave her to Bianchi." Reborn says.

Tsuna nods hesitantly. "Okay."

Just then, Kusakabe Tetsuya then returns with Chrome's Owl in his arms. "Sawada-san, Mukurowl appears to be a box weapon, just as we suspected." He says. "Should we run more checks on it?"

Tsuna shakes his head. "That belongs to Chrome. I don't think she'll appreciate us messing with it."

Ryohei smiles at the familiar mindset of Tsuna; It has been a while since he has last witnessed it. He clears his mind of such thoughts and turns to face everyone gathered. "Now then, we have things to discuss."

* * *

It is only hours later when Chrome stirs.

Bianchi instantly notices the movement and hurries over to the girl's side. "Chrome?"

The girl slowly opens her eye and stares at her for a while. "Who are you?" She finally asks.

"I'm Bianchi, Hayato's older half sister." Noting at the girl is not in immediate danger, she pulls back. "You're at the Vongola hideout. You're safe now."

Chrome relaxes and sinks deeper into her pillows. "Okay."

Bianchi frowns at the girl's condition. She was roughed up but not heavily injured. She must have gone through a lot during the time she was in Kokuyo Land. "How do you feel?"

Chrome looks up. "Okay."She says. "My second and third ribs are bruised and I think I cracked the fourth. Nothing more serious in that; I stayed at long range." She goes quiet again.

Bianchi nods and notes this down. She has met the Chrome of her time plenty of times to know that the girl has vast knowledge on medicine and the human body. She is not surprised her younger self seems to know things too. However, though te Chrome of her time has her moments, she almost always has a smile on her face. She recalls what she knows of the girl and looks away at the thought that something must have happened in her past to change her, but the thought that something happens again, between ten years ago and her current time, that fixes her backup to who she could have been, relieves her just a little.

"I'll bring you something to eat." She tells the girl. "Try to rest."

Chrome nods and Bianchi exits the room.

* * *

The moment the door closes, Sakura relaxes. So much has happened today and she still has no idea what is going on. From what she has gauged, she is at some hideout, so she guesses it is safe to assume that the rest to the Vongola Guardians are here too. Her body feels sore as the adrenaline from the fight wore off ages ago and it feels like forever since the last time she has slept on a clean bed but she just cannot relax.

She recalls Mukuro's words and just knows something big is going to happen soon.

* * *

 **Heres chapter thirteen~**

 _ **Darque: Hello readers, this is Darque from the hospital room, Raven's hospital room, to be exact. (To those of you who aren't aware, Raven fainted the other day due to stress. I bet he was just sad he couldn't find his pink post-its for his science notes.)**_

 **Raven:...**

 ** _Darque: Anyways,_** _ **things are a little different here, like how Sakura/Chrome wakes up almost immediately after arriving at the base.**_

 **Raven: This is because the initial fight went differently and Sakura is, well, Sakura, and her body remembers how to protect itself and stuff during fights.**

 _ **Darque: More subtle changes to come~**_

 **Read and Review~**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter FOURTEEN**_

Sakura allows Bianchi to fuss over her throughout the rest of the day. It will take a while for her to be back in top shape but most of it is the shock and confusion, and answers and an explanation will heal that. Still, she stays in bed due to her own wishful thinking that she could be a bystander to whatever mess is sure to come.

However, that is never the case. Reborn, accompanied by a woman she does not know, visits her room, and she knows whatever mess she has been trying to avoid, is already right here, in front of her.

Reborn hops onto her bed and the woman drags over a chair. Sakura wordlessly watches them settle down. "Chrome, how are you feeling?" The Hitman asks.

"Arcobaleno." Sakura glances over at the woman because she does not know how to address her. "I feel well enough. Well enough to listen to an explanation of what exactly is going on."

Reborn nods then gestures towards the woman. "This is Lal Mirch. Lal Mirch, Chrome Dokuro."

Lal Mirch nods firmly in her direction and Sakura decides she cannot expect much more. She returns the gesture.

"Lal will explain the situation to you."

Sakura turns her attention fully to the woman, who begins a recount of whatever has been happening outside this building structure. She explains that this was indeed ten years into the future of her world and that this world was run by a family known as the Milfiorre and their boss, a man named Byakuran. Sakura listens to the brutal tales of the Vongola hunt carried out by this family and how the Headquarters of the Vongala was destroyed. Lal Mirch then tells her of how they have intel that their key to getting home is a man named Irie Shouichi, who happens to be a member of the Millefiore family.

This is a mess, isn't it, Nagi? Sakura thinks.

Nagi sends her a dark cloud in her mind and Sakura detects the girl's unease. Don't worry, I'm here.

She closes her eye and the other two in the room don't interrupt her as she quickly sorts through what she has just heard.

"Mukuro-sama told me that a man will come and that this man will take me to where I am most needed." She says slowly. "The man did come, and he was Sasagawa Ryohei, or him ten years older, and I am currently in a Vongola hideout of survivors. He believes I am most needed here." She opens her eye and fixes it on Reborn. "What is the plan now?"

"In five days, the Vongola survivors, as well as its Alliance Families all over the world, will be launching a full-scale attack on the Millefiore." Lal Mirch explains. "At the moment, the plan is to partake in the invasion of the Japanese branch of the Millefiore Family. That is where Irie Shouichi is located."

"The decision was left up to Tsuna," Reborn says like he was reminding the woman.

"He has until the end of today." The woman snaps and brings a hand up to her head. "We must participate. It may be our only chance to counterattack."

"Whatever decision he makes, I will abide," Sakura says, then turns away.

She senses it the moment things become personal and she quickly pulls away. Once, her boat had been a cruiser. She could pull people onto it because she had the power to keep everyone afloat. Now, however, her boat, Nagi's boat, was for a single rider barely holding up against her additional weight. She could not reach out without putting them both at risk.

 _Once, her boat had been a cruiser, or so she had thought._

* * *

Lal Mirch storms out of the room soon after, eyes filled with emotion Sakura remembers seeing in her own back when they were still green.

"She's lost someone." She says.

Reborn glances over at her. "Yes."

He does not explain and she does not ask. Instead, she rolls her shoulders and stretches. "May I go explore?" She asks. "I won't be seen if that's what you want, but I want to at least know the faces of those I'll be fighting for."

"Of course." Reborn hops off the bed and heads towards the door. "Thank you."

Sakura follows him a few minutes later. She glances right, then left, then picks a random direction and starts walking. A little later, she hears Lal Mirch's firm voice cut through the silence.

"The strength between the Vongola and the Millefiore is enormous. Regardless of you deciding to participate, or put it off, it will not matter to many of us. What you will be deciding is not whether we live or die. You are being given the choice between two hells."

Sakura carefully peeks around the corner. Lal Mirch is sitting on the ground, a hand curled into Sawada Tsunayoshi's collar.

Tsunayoshi does not want to participate in this attack.

 _However, it was a choice between heading out to death or waiting for death._

Lal Mirch has a point.

Sakura steps back and continues down the corridor.

* * *

She sees Gokudera Hayato and Yamamoto Takeshi as she continues her wandering. She does not see Sasagawa Ryohei or Hibari Kyoya. At one point, she walks past the kitchen and catches sight of Lambo, another baby she does not know, and two girls she has never met before. She watches Lambo run out of the kitchen and one of the girls rush after him. She has just turned the corner when a tearing pain erupts from her lower body and something shatters in her mind.

 _Mukuro-sama._

 _Her organs._

Sakura crashes into the closest wall in order to stop herself from falling.

In the distance, she hears shouting, but everything around her is merging together into one huge ball of pain and she cannot understand what is going on anymore.

She cannot be found here. This thought alone stops her from collapsing altogether. She slowly turns and drags herself back towards the infirmary.

* * *

 **Heres chapter fourteen~**

 ** _Darque: Sorry about the late update~_  
**

 **Raven: It was Darque's turn to be sick.**

 ** _Darque: Oh shaddap. That and life._**

 **Raven: Oh yes, life. That one's not something medicine can cure.**

 ** _Darque: Life is sad._**

 **Raven: Indeed.**


	15. Chapter 15

**_Chapter FIFTEEN_**

When Sakura comes to, the first thing she feels is pain, a pain strong enough to make her wish she were unconscious again. Around her, she sees faces blurred by the tears in her eyes. However, she can make them out to be Bianchi, Reborn, and Tsunayoshi.

She feels a hand, something warm in her current world of cold, piercing pain, and in a moment of weakness, grips it as strongly as she could.

Mukuro-sama.

Something had happened to the man. That is the only explanation her pain torn mind can come up with for why her organs had shattered all of a sudden.

White spreads before her vision and for a second, Sakura thinks that it is the unconscious pulling at her, and then she realizes that it is an illusion.

Suddenly, she is dressed in a white sundress, the one she is always in when Mukuro calls out to her in her dreams. She finds herself standing in a destroyed building, and Mukuro's presence floods the entire area.

'Chrome.'

Mukuro calls her name, but his voice is raspy and broken, like he is fighting to stay conscious himself. "Mukuro-sama?" She calls.

'It is...here...'

The broken shards of Mukuro in her head shattered further and more pain burst forth, tearing her from the world of illusion and thrusting her back into reality. She cannot stop her groan of pain.

Then, someone new appears in her line of vision. A hand slips underneath her head and pulls her upwards. They open their mouth.

"I cannot allow you to die."

Sakura clings desperately onto this newcomer as she senses everyone else leave.

It is just the two of them when he leans in closer. "Sakura."

Something jolts within her mind but in her pain-ridden state, she cannot comprehend that no one should know that name. No one here, anyway.

"Sakura." The voice repeats. "Listen to me."

Sakura listens, she keeps her eyes on the man's piercing obsidians and her ears on his smooth voice.

"You have this Vongola Ring." He says. "Have you ever considered why Rokudo Mukuro entrusted this ring to you? If you can bring out its powers, you can survive." Obsidian eyes, so similar to the eyes of her former teammate's, seem to stare right into her soul. "You don't want to die yet, do you?"

Sakura did not know the answer to that question, but she is not the one who is supposed to answer it. Nagi did not want to die, and Sakura is going to make sure she did not die.

Mist Flames flood from her ring, filling the room, and the pain dies away. Sakura slowly opens her eyes and sees a clear image of who exactly is standing there, smirking down at her.

Hibari Kyoya, ten years older.

"We shall talk later." He tells her.

Sakura squeezes out the last of her energy to nod, before the soft blankets wrap her up and drags her back to sleep.

* * *

Moments later, Sakura finds herself back in the destroyed building.

This time, she follows the Mukuro's wordless callings and something falls into her palm. She recognizes the tip of Mukuro's trident before it shatters, and the small specks then begin to form something in front of her.

A countless number of gears appear before her and begin to come together, creating a white, round device of sorts. However, as she reaches out to touch it, a boy appears in front of her, stopping her. She blinks, and suddenly, the boy is a man she does not know. Then the device, and the man, break away into white specks and are carried away by a wind she cannot feel. Mukuro's presence also becomes almost undetectable and she whips around just as the last traces of familiarity of the building fades along with illusion itself.

* * *

The next time she comes to, Sakura wakes up thinking how she is tired of finding herself in hospital beds.

She slowly glances around, remembers her situation and mentally corrects herself that this is an infirmary, but the gist of it is the same.

Her body is stiff enough that she knows she has been sleeping for a while, but there is currently no one in the room and she cannot tell how long it has been. She does not have to wonder for long, though, because the door to the infirmary slides open only a little while later.

"You are awake."

Sakura turns towards the door and recognizes Reborn.

"Yes."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I living on my own illusionary organs." Nagi does not seem to appreciate her humor and Sakura apologizes in her head. The girl had been scared out of her mind.

Reborn approaches her bed but this time, he does not sit. "The invasion is in two days time." He says.

"I've been asleep for three days." Sakura murmurs.

"Roughly."

Sakura blinks. "So he's decided to go with it." She notes.

Reborn nods.

"I see." Sakura looks up.

"Your situation has been put into consideration and you were taken off our main attack force."

Sakura does not speak of how she probably could fight, and even in this state still be more attack power than most of the children playing mafia, but she does not, because it appears the Arcobaleno has other plans for her. "Okay." She slowly tests out her limbs.

He turns towards the door and Sakura sighs when she realizes he is going to make her ask.

"And me?"

Reborn glances up at her from below the edge of his hat. "Someone has put in a request for you."

* * *

A while later the door opens again, and Sakura stiffens when she recognizes Hibari to be the new comer. The man has changed out of his suit and is now dressed in a simple black yukata.

"Hibari-san."

The man smirks and stalks up to her bed. He does not speak.

Sakura forces herself not to lean away. Nagi cowers. "You called me Sakura." She blurts out. She does not say any more, because there is a possibility Hibari does not know the full story. Perhaps it was the nickname of her future self, or something along those lines.

"That can come later." The man says dismissively. "Something to look forward to after the battle, perhaps?"

Sakura narrows her eye. "You said we will talk."

"Later. I never specified when."

Sakura curls in on herself, just a little, because she does not understand what this man is talking about. He knows things she does not, and knowing this, he is hanging small bits of information in front of her.

"The Arcobaleno said someone requested me. Would that be you?"

Hibari's smirk widens. "Indeed."

"I thought you disliked group activities."

"You were someone I tolerated." Hibari reaches out towards her and Sakura jerks away to avoid to his hand.

"What?" She does not understand what he is saying and decides that he must be talking about her futureself.

"Come." Hibari says. "We have a different plan to the rest of the Herbivores."

Sakura stays rooted to her spot for a while longer but decides she does not have much of a choice. It appears Reborn has already sold her out to this man. "Where are we going?" She slowly lifts herself off the bed and tests her weight on her feet. She winces and her ankles protest after a long period of lying down. Hibari patiently waits for her, but he does not give her an answer.

"Come." He says again, then stalks off towards the door.

Nagi seems to have gotten over her initial fear and is now huffing at the man's attitude.

Sakura sighs and hurries off after him.

* * *

 **So, here's le next chapter~**

 _ **Darque: So, changes~~~~~**_

 **Raven: XD.**

 _ **Darque: Hibari ma boi, he knows something.**_

 **Raven: It appears so.**

 _ **Darque: Huehue**_

 **Raven: Uh, right.**

 **Read and Review~**


	16. Chapter 16

**_Chapter SIXTEEN_**

Sakura follows Hibari through the hideout and they stop in front of a locked door. She realizes she has never been here before. "Where are we going?"

Hibari wordlessly runs his hand over the panel next to the door and after a series of clicks and whirs, the door opens. He steps through and Sakura follows with another sigh.

Suddenly, the floor changes from tile to wood and the walls change from plaster to paper.

This place, wherever it is, is built in a traditional Japanese style.

Hibari slides open one of the fusuma doors, revealing a large room. There is a man with his hair styled up in front of him sitting at the fusuma on the other side of the room. Beside him is a tray holding several bottles and a few cups.

"I am underage," Sakura says blankly. Nagi sends the images of her drinking in her past life but goes silent when Sakura winces.

Hibari glances over at her. "I am aware." He sits down in the middle of the room and Sakura dips her head in the direction of the other man before she hesitantly joins the Cloud Guardian. They sit there in silence, one Sakura is surprised to find not uncomfortable, and a while later she hears heavy footsteps and someone slams open the fusuma. "Hibari!"

Sakura turns at the slightly familiar voice and she meets the eyes of Sasagawa Ryohei. The man is also dressed in a yukata, this one a dark green. Sakura unconsciously glances down at her hospital gown.

"Oh, Chrome! What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Sasagawa-san." Sakura glances over at Hibari, who has his eyes closed. "I have no idea. Hibari-san dragged me here."

"Hibari, what are you thinking." Ryohei waves at the other man and walks over to get the trays. He plops himself down on the other side of the room and pours himself a cup of sake before he slides the tray across the tatami at Hibari, who catches it before everything on it tips over. The Cloud Guardian opens his eyes and glares at the Sun Guardian, but the latter shows no signs of noticing. The black haired man sighs before he pours himself a cup. He then picks up a different bottle and pours a cup for Sakura, who takes the offering slowly and warily. She takes a sniff and decides that tea should be safe enough to drink.

Hibari takes a slow sip. "This one will be coming with me tomorrow."

Ryohei pauses. "What?"

"It is exactly as I said."

Sakura takes pity on the confused looking Sun Guardian. "Reborn-san has taken my condition into consideration and I was taken off the main force." She explains. "I will be accompanying Hibari-san with whatever he will be doing tomorrow."

"Do you know what he will be doing tomorrow?" Ryohei asks.

Sakura shakes her head. "No." She admits. "But I am adaptable."

Ryohei laughs at that. "Yeah, I know."

Sakura considers this and decides that he too, is referring to her future self. She dips her head and looks down.

The men drink in silence.

* * *

An hour or so later, Ryohei puts down his cup and gets to his feet. "Well, I guess I'll be going."

The man in the suit straightens. "Good night." He says.

"Yeah." Ryohei nods at the man, then turns back to Hibari. Sakura glances up to watch. "I'll be counting on you, Hibari." He grins. "You too, Chrome."

Sakura does not know what exactly she is being counted on to do, but Hibari finishes his cup and does not acknowledge the other Guardian. Still, Ryohei simply lets out a huffed laugh. He stretches, yawns, and walks out of the room. Sakura follows him with his eye and her gaze then lands on the Japanese-styled garden outside the door.

Hibari sits there for a while longer before he too stands. "Come."

Sakura glances up at the man before she does as told. The Cloud Guardian opens the door wider and sits outside the room so that he can overlook the garden. Sakura sits down next to him again.

Hibari links his hands in front of his face and closes his eyes. "On the bad nights, your future self used to visit me." He says suddenly, and Sakura jumps.

Hibari does not seem to care. "You often told me you liked the feel of my house. I do not drink alcohol very often, but you could drink anyone in the family to the ground."

Sakura glances away, unsure of what to say. She sees images of bottles of sake and piles of paperwork and an office and a beautiful, strong, blond woman before she quickly wipes it all away.

"It took a lot of alcohol for you to forget, and it was impossible for anyone in the family to accompany you while you did it because they all fell way before you were able to." Hibari says. "Sometimes you arrived half drunk because you had attempted, once again, elsewhere before giving up but often, you just arrived at my door expecting me to let you in so you could destroy yourself for the night on my porch, somewhere you could my garden."

"What was I trying to forget?" Sakura asks.

"Sometimes you were trying to forget the sky, and sometimes you were trying to forget the sun." Hibari opens his eyes and glances over at her. "On the worst nights, you called me Sasuke."

Sakura fists her clothes and looks away. "Do you know the story behind that name?"

Hibari shrugs. "I did not, not back then. After all, this was a while ago. Things happened. Things changed, and you changed."

"How so?"

"The look of loss in your eyes vanished. You came to appreciate everyone because you understood the importance of the people around you who shaped you. However, that you was no longer you."

Sakura instantly understands. "Nagi becomes a wonderful person." She says softly, and she feels a smile tugging at her lips.

"She does," Hibari says, just as quietly. "She is one of the few Herbivores I can tolerate being around."

Sakura allows her smile to bloom before a thought stops her. "And me?" She asks, because she is just a little bit curious.

"The only one who knows what truly happened to you is Chrome Dokuro of this time," Hibari says. "Perhaps your conscience faded away, perhaps Chrome killed you in her mind, perhaps you killed yourself."

Nagi lets out a protest in her mind at Hibari's words but all Sakura can do is smile, because after everything she goes through and everything she has just been told she goes through, Nagi blooms into the person she should have been. This thought alone is enough to keep her going for a while longer.

* * *

 **Chapter sixteen here~**

 _ **Darque: Hibari ma boi, he knew something. (Is he OOC? I think he is. He talked a lot.)**_

 **Raven: I thought we established that. (I think he is too, but maybe it's not too bad.)**

 _ **Darque: We did? (I hope.)**_

 **Raven: Last chapter. You said the same thing. (I know right?)**

 _ **Darque: Ahhh, I see.**_

 **Raven: But yeah.**

 **Read and Review~**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter SEVENTEEN**_

Sakura is woken up by a clawing sound. She slowly sits up and glances around, noting that she is still in Kyoya's place. She has been told they will have to be ready to leave anytime, and she had just curled up on the porch, the night not too cold for her to do so. She finds a blanket has been laid over her but Kyoya and the man who had been sitting with him are nowhere to be seen.

The clawing sound is heard again. Nagi sends her an image of a bloody clown, one she had seen on the poster for a movie ad ages ago. Sakura slowly gets to her feet and peers over the porch.

A white cat with red storm flames coming out of its ears is clawing at the wood of the porch. She thinks of her Mist Owl and slowly reaches out towards the creature.

The cat instantly curls its back and hisses. Sakura pulls back her hand and glances around but there is no one there. She glances back down at the cat.

"What is that noise?"

Sakura looks up to see Kyoya stalking out of the shadows. His arms are crossed and tucked into the sleeves of his yukata. He stands over her and eyes the cat. "Gatto Tempesta." He says, then reaches down and hooks a finger around the creature. He then drags it by the scruff and folds it out, so that it could not catch him with its claws.

"What are you going to do with it?" Sakura asks curiously. Nagi sends her an image of a pot and a cooked lump of fur and she hushes the girl in her head, trying to stifle a laugh.

"I will go return it." Kyoya yawns. "Unless you want to do it."

Sakura glances at the cat, then at the warm patch on the porch. "What time is it?" She asks.

"It is three," Kyoya replies. "We leave in an hour. Prepare for a fight."

"I guess I won't be sleeping, then." Sakura glances down at herself. She is still dressed in her hospital gown and she is still wearing the medical eyepatch. "I will head back and prepare."

Kyoya shrugs, like it does not concern him either way. Sakura follows the man through the house and back towards the hideout.

Kyoya heads off the moment they pass through the link between his house and the hideout, leaving Sakura to try and find her way back to the infirmary. The room is empty when she slides the door open, just like she expected. She quickly changes into her usual outfit and fixes her eyepatch before she looks through her bag. She decides to leave it in the base and leaves the room with just her trident.

She rounds the corner just in time to see Kyoya walking off into the darkness on the other end. Tsunayoshi, Gokudera and Takeshi stand in the corridor watching him go along with Reborn. She considers waiting until they retreat back into their room then decides to just get it over with.

As she gets closer, she hears Takeshi laugh. "No matter how many years pass, Kyoya is Kyoya."

Reborns jumps off his perch on the boy's shoulder. "We should go back to sleep too." He then glances behind them and lands his gaze on her. "Chrome."

The three boys whip around to look at her and Sakura dips her head. "Hello."

"Chrome!" Tsunayoshi exclaims. "Are you well enough to be out of bed? What are you doing so late?"

Sakura holds up her trident. "I came here to get this." She pauses, then adds quietly. "I am feeling fine, thank you." She walks past them.

"Where are you going?" Tsunayoshi asks.

"To prepare." She replies, because she does not know if the three boys are aware of her arrangement. She has not been told that it was a secret, but she did not want to risk it. "Good night."

"Ah, right. Good night." Tsunayoshi trails off uncertainty. The other two follow it up with their own 'Good night's. Sakura nods at the Arcobaleno before she turns and follows Kyoya's footsteps back to his place.

* * *

Kyoya is waiting for her on the other side of the link. He has changed into his suit and she reaches him just as he slips boxes the size of her fists into his pocket.

"I still have not been told what I will be doing," Sakura says.

Kyoya looks at her and smirks. "We will be hunting a pack of weak Herbivores." He then turns and stalks off, leaving Sakura with nothing to do but follow.

* * *

Sakura follows Kyoya into a lift and when the doors open, she looks around to find them above ground. Kyoya wordlessly starts walking and Sakura quickly follows. She does not recognize the area they are walking in, but she decides that this is because she was in the future. Soon, the two of them come across a wired fence. Kyoya quickly climbs over it and Sakura follows. The other side is a flat land, and under the moonlight, Sakura can see black spots that are no doubt holes and mounds of earth that show that these holes had been dug recently by people. She glances up carefully and sees that the smirk is still present on Kyoya's face. He pulls out the boxes from earlier and raises his ring. Cloud Flames burst to life and the man inserts the flames into the small openings on the boxes. The container bursts open and a purple hedgehog covered in spikes burst out.

"Wha-" Sakura stares with wide eyes and the hedgehog floats around them and it preens when Kyoya reaches out and almost fondly gives its face a rub.

"Box weapons." The man says. "Like the cat."

Sakura thinks of the Storm Cat. "Oh."

Kyoya approaches one of the holes and jumps down without hesitation. Sakura listens and hears the sound of his polishes shoed hitting metal, and gauges that there was something down there for her to land on. She braces herself and follows.

Her feet hit thin bars that are similar to cage bars, and she quickly catches her balance. She then notices that the hole extends much deeper downwards and that these bars were blocking off the entrance. She peers in and catches sight of many figures dressed in black and white crouched in the hole with animals releasing colored Flames floating around them.

"You fell for it."

Sakura glances up at the voice and watches Kyoya drop a small, flashing device down through the metal bars.

"You form packs because you are weak, and you become trapped rats that will be bitten to death." The Cloud Guardian raises a pair of tonfas and his hedgehogs bristle out their spikes, which glint in the moonlight. Sakura takes the cue and entends her trident.

"Damn you, Vongola!" One of the men shout.

"Vongola?" Kyoya asks. "No, that's not it."

The Milfiore man ignores him. "You think you've got us trapped, but we'll escape something like this in a snap!"

Sakura sees several rings begin to glow, but the man beside her does not lose his composure. "I don't have time to be playing with you." He says. The Cloud Guardian's hedgehogs slip through the bars and begin to grow in size. She watches in fascination as the entire space beneath her becomes invisible as the spiked balls fill up the entire area.

Sakura cannot help but be vocal about her impressed state. "Wow."

Kyoya glances over at her but he does not say anything. "Not all of them would have gone down." He says. "We will take care of the ones still alive. Are you ready?"

Sakura spins her trident. Her body still feels a little stiff, but she firmly nods. "Of course." She tilts her head. "I still do not understand why you wanted me here."

As a way of reply, Kyoya raises his tonfas again and the hedgehogs begin to shrink. The bars under their feet begin to fade and the two of them land on top of the dead, unconscious, and winded Millefiore men.

"We still outnumber them, there is nothing to fear. We'll take them on!" Flame Weapons and Boxes are summoned. Kyoya easily knocks aside the first men that jump on him.

Sakura spins her trident and lowers into a stance.

* * *

 **Next chapter~**

 _ **Darque: More stuffs.**_

 **Raven: Indeed,**

 _ **Darque: Next chapter will feature even more stuffs.**_

 **Raven: Yup.**

 **Read and Review~**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter EIGHTEEN**_

Sakura feels her body lose its stiffness the more she moves around. By now, her trident is a mere extension of her body and she spins it with an easiness that feels familiar and comforts her.

Somewhere behind her she can feel, and hear, Kyoya having his way with his attackers. She can tell that there are naturally more enemies flocking him than her, assuming he was the bigger threat, but the man seems to have no qualms with it.

Sakura knows that her flames are a little unstable, especially because she is currently supporting her own illusionary organs by herself. It is more instinctive the by choice that she is limiting her use of the Mist Flames, but it does not matter to her; even without the aid of chakra, her weapon from her lifetime, she is more than capable of defending herself and, when called for, fight.

She lashes out and knocks away the man who had been trying to cut her from behind. She grabs him by the collar as he is going down and shoves him into another incoming enemy, making them both fall over.

 _Before, she could hurl them. They flew further, much further. She could take down so many more at once._

Sakura shakes off her thoughts and swings the handle of her trident into another attacker, pushing them away. She then casts a simple illusion, one that was easy to shake off if the victim was aware but easy to be unnoticed until it was too late.

The men on the floor will not be waking up for a very long time. She then braces her weapon against the floor and kicks herself up into the air using her trident as a lever, and carries herself over their heads.

However, her ankles decide to remind her that her body is still not in top shape, and she stumbles upon landing. She has to duck awkwardly from a swung sword and roll away from the second blow. She hears a shout and looks up in time to see and of Kyoya's Cloud Hedgehogs fly at her attacker's face. Sakura quickly rights herself and lashes out with her foot, catching the man by the side of his head and drawing blood as he collapses with a groan. She does not spare him another look as she turns to face her next opponent.

This lasts for a while longer and Sakura continues to fight until suddenly, there isn't a next enemy to beat up. Sakura lowers her trident and looks around.

Men clad in black and white litter the floor, either dead, unconscious or writhing in pain. Hibari stands nearby, tossing the last man onto the floor. "How disappointing."

Sakura carefully picks her way towards him. "Are you hurt?"

Kyoya fixes her with a glare. "Did you think these weaklings could land a hit on me?"

Sakura rolls her eye. "Standard question."

Kyoya scoffs, then gives her a look over as well. "You?"

"Did you think these weaklings could land a hit on me?" She mimics.

"I saw you stumble."

Sakura huffs. "I'm still a little stiff from all the sleeping."

Kyoya hums and looks io towards the entrance to this huge hole. "We should go." He says. "We're not done yet."

Sakura does not even bother to ask where. Instead, she just sighs and follows as the man rearranges his hedgehogs into platforms they could use to climb out.

* * *

When they climb out, there is a car waiting for them. The man with the funny hair sits in the driver seat and on the passenger seat is a large bag with the two babies, Lambo and I-Pin, sticking their heads out and fast asleep. Beside them is a white form she recognizes at the Mist Owl. The bird, as if hearing her thoughts, slowly opens its eyes and is instantly perched on her shoulder. Kyoya opens the back door and makes his way into the car. When he glares, Sakura takes it as an invite and follows. The owl hoots quietly in Kyoya's direction and the man scowls before looking away.

"Welcome back, Kyo-san, Chrome-san." The man says.

Sakura jumps, and Kyoya seems to understand her unease. "Kusakabe Tetsuya." He says.

Sakura nods in greeting and Tetsuya returns the action before he begins to drive. "So, where are we headed to now?" She asks drily.

"Why, the Milfiorre headquarters of course," Kyoya says.

"I was taken off the attack force, Hibari-san." Sakura points out.

"And you just proved that that was an unnecessary thing to do." Kyoya turns away from her and pointedly stares out the window. Sakura sighs and turns to the two sleeping figures. "And them?" She asks. "They are merely children."

Kyoya sighs and closes his eyes. "We all have a role we must perform in order for this operation to succeed." He says. "They are merely a part of this equation."

Sakura glances at Tetsuya, who merely continues to drive through the night streets, then at the two children, before she closes her eyes as well.

* * *

Sakura does not know when she fell asleep, or how she had even fallen asleep during such important times, but she is awoken by a soft touch to her shoulder. Kyoya is leaning over her and he moves back as she slowly sits up. "We're here."

Sakura glances out the window and notes that they are in the shadows of a large building. "Here?"

"The Milfiorre headquarters." Kyoya steps out of the door and Sakura quickly follows. Tetsuya is already waiting outside. On his back is the bag with the two babies still sleeping.

"Before we bust into enemy territory, can you tell me what I'm supposed to do?" Sakura asks, in one last desperate attempt to figure out just what exactly was going on.

Kyoya sighs again, like she should _just know._ He points at the manhole a little away from them. "We will enter from there." He says. "There are two pathways down there. You, Tetsuya and the two brats will head one way. I will head the other. I will do my job, you will look for the other Guardians." He glances down at her. "Get it?"

Sakura shrugs, because she knows it will not be that easy, but she now, at least, understand the gist of it. "Okay."

Kyoya removes the cover of the manhole and jumps down without even a glance at the ladders. Sakura readies her trident, then follows.

When she lands, she sees only one pathway. However, the moment she is steady on her feet, Kyoya summons an enormous hedgehog that begins spinning. In mere seconds, it has torn through a wall and it soon vanishes from sight.

"Two paths." She says.

"Two paths." Kyoya agrees. "I will go this way. You go that way." He points towards the original path. "I believe you will be seeing me later." He says mysteriously. "Ring, Flame, box weapons, remember that."

Sakura is about to ask what exactly he means, but she sees something in his eyes that makes her stop.

"Something unexpected will happen." He continues. "You must accept it."

Sakura stays quiet and meets his gaze without flinching.

* * *

Kyoya feels a smirk threatening to appear on his face. He stares at the girl before him for a while, and just as Sakura looks like she is about to glance away from the sheer awkwardness of it all, he smirks. "One last thing, Sakura."

Sakura stiffens, but she does not question it, not anymore. "Yes?"

He and the future Sakura had been close, Kyoya likes to think. They were not exactly friends, but they had a link that no one else could understand, and he guessed he owes it to the person she would become because he knows he is one of the people who shape her.

Kyoya's smirk widens. "Will you kill, without taking life, in order to save yourself?"

Sakura's confusion is clear on her face and Kyoya lets out a soft chuckle and gives her a single soft pat on the head. He then glances up at Tetsuya, who has climbed down the ladder like a sensible person and without a word, he steps through the hole he had made and vanishes after his box weapon.

* * *

 _Will you kill, without taking life, in order to save yourself?_

The words linger in Sakura's mind long after the man's footsteps can no longer be heard. Sakura follows his form with her eye until it is no longer visible and decides that the words he had just said to her would be very important. She takes a deep breath, then glances awkwardly at Tetsuya. "I guess we should get going?"

* * *

 **So, update~**

 _ **Darque: First, in Sakura's POV, she is referred to as Sakura. This is also the case for Kyoya. This is because these two refer to Chrome as Sakura in their minds. Bianchi and Ryohei, on the other hand, know her as Chrome and thus in their POV, Chrome is used.**_

 **Raven: Just some clarification. **

_**Darque: Also, this is exciting~!**_

 **Raven: It certainly is. It's also very nostalgic.**

 _ **Darque: I'm rewatching KHR as I write this for like, the 100th time. It's my single most favorite series, I think.**_

 **Raven: Exams, my friend. In a month and a half.**

 _ **Darque: I know, but it's okay. I'll burn through them with my own Flames.**_

 **Raven: Ah, yes, right, why didn't I think of that.**

 **Read and Review~**


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter NINETEEN**_

As Sakura walks, she can feel the faint vibrations of the ground shaking as Kyoya tears down the walls on his way down his 'path', and the moment she can no longer feel it, she casts her first illusion, which gets her, Tetsuya, and the two babies through the initial guard point. The moment they get past these guards and head deeper through the base, the scenery changes into one of destruction. Sakura curiously peeks into one of the rooms and takes in the large cracks and slabs of the floor and walls that stick out.

The battles here had all been destructive.

"Chrome-san."

Sakura turns towards Tetsuya. "Yes?"

"I believe the enemy is no doubt away of our arrival." He says. "We should hurry and find the Guardians."

Sakura nods and is about to continue down the corridor when the Mist Owl lets out a soft hoot and flaps its wings. "Oh?" She tilts her head, then turns and steps into the destroyed room.

"Chrome-san?"

Sakura turns to the man and raises a finger to her lips. "They are aware." She says. "And they are coming. We will ambush them here."

* * *

Fighting their way through the base is questionably easy, and Sakura has to continuously remind herself that the main force of the Milfiorre were lying in a large pit a little away from their own base. At some point, the two babies wake up, but Sakura does not know how to face them, so she leaves them to Tetsuya.

They continue to make their way through the destroyed base when she senses something and she stops her feet.

Tetsuya stops behind her. "Chrome-san?"  
Sakura points in the direction she had sensed the tug, a large room that looks slightly more damaged than the rest. "There."

The man does not question her and, instead, the four of them make their way towards the destruction. Sakura nudges a few of the debris with the hilt of her trident. "Here." She says, then begins picking away at the rocks.

Tetsuya instantly falls to his knees beside her and begins to dig.

Only after a few minutes of digging, Tetsuya lets out a gasp and begins to dig with renewed vigor. Sakura steps back as the man pulls a crumpled figure from the rocks. Nagi lets out a distressed whimper and Sakura gently nudges the girl to the back of her mind. It will keep the girl away from the disturbing sights and she will not have to worry about any distractions.

"Sasagawa Ryohei." The man is unconscious. Sakura scans him for life threatening injuries while the others continue their digging. He is unconscious and will probably not be of much use in any coming fights. She is subconsciously wiping at a trail of blood running down his face when another cry alerts her of their second finding.

"Gokudera Hayato." Sakura crouches beside the teen when Tetsuya places him on flat ground. She runs her fingers over his pulse, then over the most obvious of his injuries. He is heavily injured as well, but as long as he does not engage in any more fights, he should be fine. He, too, is unconscious for the moment, though. Sakura stands up and glances around as Tetsuya pulls the Sun Guardian onto his back. He then moves towards the Storm Guardian, but Sakura stretches out her limbs and stops him. "I'll take him." She then ignores Tetsuya's incredulous look and hefts the teen onto her own back. She cannot sense anyone else here. "We should keep moving."

* * *

They are halfway up a set of stairs when Hayato lets out a soft groan. Sakura steadies herself and glances over her shoulder at him. "Arashi." She murmures. "Gokudera Hayato."

The Storm Guardian lets out another groan, and his eyes flutter open. "What-"

Sakura leans back. "You are awake."

Gokudera blinks and instantly begins struggling.

"Stop struggling." She says sharply. "I am carrying your weight. Unless, of course, you can walk by yourself, in which case I will gladly drop you."

Hayato narrows his eyes but does as told. "What's going on? Why're you here? Reborn-san told us you weren't coming with us."

"We dug you out of the debris. I arrived with Kyoya-san. I was given a different task under the Arcobaleno orders." Sakura waits until Hayato has placed his feet on the ground, but she keeps his arm around her shoulder. "Don't strain yourself." She says. "While unideal, we may need you for any coming fights."

Hayato goes silent and he slumps, just a little, into her. Sakura smiles softly, so that no one can see, and they continue to make their way through the base.

* * *

Moments later, they hear the sound of clashing weapons. Sakura quickens her pace and Hayato opens his eyes again. They step out from behind a huge slab of rock and catch glimpse of what Sakura can tell is an environment made of illusions. Within it stands a man she does not recognize, and Kyoya. However, it takes her a mere second to realize that this Hibari Kyoya, is not the one from this time. Near by lies Lal Mirch and Yamamoto Takeshi, both who are unconscious.

"Hibari Kyoya from our time." She says, then glances upwards, towards where a countless number of missiles were positioned, hidden behind a veil of illusion and made invisible. "Invisible missiles aimed at him from all directions. Looks like he's about to die."

"What?" Hayato makes a sharp movement and in the next second, something red and black fly past her. Sakura blinks and, in the next instant, Kyoya is being shielded by a a set of circles held together by black bone like structures. The missiles hit the shields and, once the smoke clears, Sakura can see that Kyoya is unharmed.

"Heh." Sakura turns back towards the Storm Guardian, who has a smirk on his face. "I've returned the favor." He pauses. "Thought I doubt you know what I'm talking about."

"Kyo-san!" Tetsuya calls out, before he too seems to realize that this Hibari Kyoya is no longer the one from his time.

Sakura sighs, then gently lowers Hayato onto the ground. "Stay here for a while, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, she unlinks her arm from around him and stands back up. She thinks of how confused she had been when she had first arrived in the future, and how she did not understand how the new weapons Glo Xinia had pulled out. Nagi sends her a flashback of the future Kyoya and she nods, understanding a part of what the man had said to her earlier.

"Hibari-san."

The teen turns away from Tetsuya, who he appeared to have been scolding, and fixes her with a glare. Sakura ignores this and gestures towards the floor, where the future Kyoya's box weapons are lying around. "The Flames from the Rings." She says. "Insert it into the box."

The Cloud Guardian's glare intensifies. "You." He snarls. "Both of you." He shifts his glare to Tetsuya. "You sound like the Bronco."

She does not know who this 'Bronco' is, but from his reaction, she gauges that this must be a bag thing. However, after a few more words of complaint, the teen raises his hand and suddenly, an immense pressure falls on her as Cloud Flames begin to pulse from the ring in amounts she had never seen before. This is not the time to be impressed, though, because Sakura senses movement behind the teen and she catches a glimpse of the invisible missiles once again moving towards the Cloud Guardian. "Hibari-san, behind you!"

The Cloud Guardian spins around almost instinctively and raises his tonfas just in time to block the attacks. Sakura releases a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and turns back to their opponent, who is now looking at her.

An illusionist, her mind tells her.

Sakura can sense Kyoya's growing annoyance and she hears him ship as he slowly lifts the box. Even without seeing, she can tell that the amount of Flames inserted into the box by this Hibari Kyoya is several times more than what the future Cloud Guardian had used. She turns back to Kyoya and there is a pause, before a hedgehog appears on the ground in front of the teen.

It is unlike the hedgehog she had seen before, and she watches as Kyoya crouches and slowly offers it his hand. She blinks when the creatures sniffs, then turns eagerly towards him and sees the tip of one of its spikes stab the offered palm. It freezes for a moment, before it lets out a sudden scream and immediately begins to multiply.

"Kyo-san!" Tetsuya cries a warning and the Cloud Guardian leaps away from the growing balls of spikes. Sakura watches in fascination for a while longer, before she roughly grabs the fallen Storm Guardian at her feet and rushes towards the only exist not blocked by the hedgehogs. She seems Tetsuya heft Lal Mirch onto his other shoulder and she hauls Takeshi up as well.

I-Pin and Lambo points in the direction of the gap and Sakura glances back one more time before she follows Tetsuya through it.

* * *

 **Update, my friends~**

 _ **Darque: This one felt rushed.**_

 **Raven: It did.**

 _ **Darque: That's cause this part is kinda boring.**_

 **Raven:...**

 _ **Darque: Boooorrrriiiinnnngggg~~~!~!~~**_

 **Raven: Well, it becomes better?**

 _ **Darque: Yup~**_

 **Read and Review~**


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter TWENTY**_

The Cloud Hedgehogs continue to grow as they try to escape the spikes. Sakura buckles under the weight of two unconscious teens several times as she half carries, half drags them. It is not her lack of physical strength but more her lack of height, that does not allow her to carry them both comfortably. In addition to that, her body is starting to hurt and she can literally feel her illusionary organ flickering under the strain she is putting on them.

I-Pin and Lambo continue to call out the exits they can see and Sakura tunes out everything but the movement of her legs, but soon, she is unable to keep her legs firm enough under their weight and she trips forward.

A harsh hand grips her shoulder from behind and she finds herself being yanked backward. She gasps as she regains her balance and turns around just in time to see Hibari pull Takeshi from her grasp. The teen then wordlessly pulls Hayato away from her too, and Sakura slumps in relief at the sudden lack of weight.

She had known they were heavy, but she hadn't noticed just how heavy they were. "Thank you." She calls.

Kyoya scoffs. "I owe you, after all." He then narrows his eyes at Tetsuya. "Besides, if you die here, I can't bite you to death."

Sakura watches Tetsuya blanch, and they all look up when Lambo points out an opening. Soon, they find themselves away from the cluster of box weapons, but they continue moving.

"I never expected I'd have to run like mice," Hibari muttered.

"These people can no longer fight," Tetsuya reports. "In the worst case, we should consider taking them and escaping-"

The man is cut off by the sound of gears turning and Sakura looks ahead to see the metal doors closing. Sakura leans on her trident to try and catch her breath and recover but in the next second, the walls begin to close in on them. As they backtrack from the advancing structures, Sakura senses something a little off. She loses her balance as the shaking ground throws her to the side, but she finds herself losing consciousness even before the walls are anywhere near crushing her.

The last thing she sees is Tetsuya and Hibari falling to the ground, before everything goes dark.

* * *

Sakura wakes up to the sound of raised voices and wonders when she will be allowed to wake up on her own, without someone or something forcing her awake. She slowly looks up and notes that the ones shouting had been Hayato and Lal Mirch.

She, along with the rest of the guardians, are sitting inside a large glass tube. Outside is a part of the Millefiore base that she hasn't seen yet. On one side stands Tsunayoshi, and on the other stood the man in the photo.

' _Irie Shoichi.'_

Sakura slowly stands up and joins the rest of the conscious Guardians by the glass. She listens wordlessly as the man explains the Trinisette, made up of the Mare Rings, the Vongola Rings and the Seven pacifiers of the Arcobaleno, and how one who possessed all three gained immense power. He then proceeds to explain how everything had been a lie.

"I am not your true enemy," Shoichi says. "If my aim had been to take your Vongola Rings, I wouldn't have had to call you to this base. The whole reason why I sent you that letter and painted myself to be the enemy was so that you'd train to become stronger and come here, to the Merone Base!"

The logical part of Sakura's mind instantly sees the valid points in the man's argument, but the nontrusting side of her, cultivated through years and years of experiencing war and betrayal and death, refuses to trust him just yet. From the reactions of those around her, she can tell they feel the same.

"I am not your true enemy," Shoichi repeats. "Your true enemy is Byakuran-san!"

' _Byakuran, the boss of the Millefiore family.'_

In that moment, Kyoya's words flicker through her mind.

' _Something unexpected will happen. You must accept it.'_

Kyoya had known, she realizes. He had known, like he always seemed to, and he had warned her, in the vaguest way possible.

Sakura can feel a headache coming, and she can sense Nagi's confusion hitting her in waves. She sits down where she is standing, because Shoichi continues to talk about how this had been a secret between himself, the future Tsunayoshi and the future Hibari in order to make sure Byakuran did not know about this, and how Byakuran would stop at nothing to get his hands on the trinisette, and how this was the only time they could seal his powers.

She glances at her trident and softly calls out to Mukuro in her mind again, but she doesn't receive a reply. She is tired, she decides.

 _She was tired of having to decide what was right and what was wrong. She was tired of the consequences that followed regardless of whether she was right or wrong._

She liked Mukuro, because he knew what he was doing, and he knew what exactly she had to do in order to achieve his goals. She wanted someone to decide what was right and what was wrong for her, so she was not haunted by the price that came with making the wrong choice, just like she had all the time during the war.

At some point, she hears the glass container opening and everyone helping the most injured out of the case and onto beds, but she remains where she is seated. Finally, when everyone is evacuated, she slowly walks out of the container and stands a little off to the side, away from the rest of the Guardians.

They are still talking, and she looks up once to see Sasagawa Ryohei change places with himself from ten years ago. He and Hayato instantly begin to make a fuss and Sakura is reminded of them bickering during the Ring Wards.

During this time, Takeshi wakes up. All of it feels as though it is happening on the other side of a glass wall, because she guesses she has lost the ability to understand how experience made one stronger the risk of loss gave one power.

 _Because she had seen how losing that source of power could utterly destroy you, and she knew that it was not worth it, that it had never been worth it._

She feels a smile making its way onto her face, and she does not even know why she is smiling, but she cannot stop it. She slowly makes her way across the room towards where Reborn's hologram was, and she crouches beside it. "Arcobaleno."

The baby turns around. "Chrome."

"Hibari Kyoya of this time knew." She says. She looks up to where Hayato was still chewing out Shoichi. "He warned me that something unexpected would happen and that I must accept it."

Reborn hums, then nod. "I see."

Sakura stands back up and withdraws again.

 _But they kept paying the price, because they had never learned._

Suddenly, she feels a warmth that forces her to look up. The machine Shoichi had opened had spat out a box covered in the Orange Flames of the Sky.

 _Tsunayoshi's box weapon._

"You cannot open that yet," Shoichi tells him. "In order for you to open it, you need to gather the seven seals of the Arcobaleno."

 _They lost everything important, then they lost everything they had fabricated to be important in order to replace what had been lost, until one day, they lost and they had nothing else left to lose._

"In order for you to gather the seals, you have to temporarily return to the past," Shoichi says.

"We can return to the past?" Tsunayoshi asks.

Shoichi nods, but Sakura sees the hesitation in his eyes. "There, you must gather the Seven Seals of the Arcobaleno through clearing their Trials."

"Trials?"

Sakura closes her eyes. She waits while Tsunayoshi and Shoichi discuss the requirements of the return to the past, which was that all time traveled members had to return with them and that they had to all come back to the future after the Trials. She listens to Tsunayoshi struggle under the presented opportunity to return at least the innocent girls and the babies to the past and the inability to take it. She waits through it all, and once everything has settled, she steps forward.

"Irie Shoichi."

The man turns to her, surprise evident in his eyes. "Ye-yes?"

"Mukuro-sama...what happened to Rokudo Mukuro?" She asks, because in times like this, there is only one way the man could have been taken out.

Shoichi bites his lip. "According to Byakuran-san, he possessed a soldier of the Milfiorre. Byakuran-san himself noticed this, and he personally-"

Sakura narrows her eyes and places a hand over her chest because she can still feel _something._ Shoichi, however, is not done. "But, I don't believe him." He says. "Because Rokudo Mukuro's name did not show up on the Vindice Penitentiary's death list." He smiles. "He's alive."

Sakura knows this, she really does, but she feels her knees give way.

 _A puppet without a puppet master could not function. She had merely been acting out the last task Mukuro had left her with._

Shoichi, Tsunayoshi, and Tetsuya all rush towards her, but Sakura does not acknowledge any of them.

The smile is back on her face, she can feel it.

* * *

 **Update~**

 _ **Darque: We lied, more rushed stuff, cause more boring things.**_

 **Raven: When's the 'fun stuff' happening?**

 _ **Darque: Soon, maybe?**_

 **Raven: Sorry about the rush, guys, we wrote the last couple of chapters in the same sitting, because we have to do it while we've got the rush of motivation, but it also gets a little repetitive after a while...**

 _ **Darque: That and this part is BORING.**_

 **Raven: Kind of...?**

 **Read and Review~**


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter TWENTY ONE**_

Shoichi instructs them to return to their base and rest, and surprisingly, most of them are dead quiet as they leave the ruins of the Milfiorre base. Shoichi promises that the most injured will be sent back via transportation.

"Chrome-san."

Sakura turns at Tetsuya's voice and sees him and Kyoya standing to the side, and she remembers that they had come on Tetsuya's car. She glances at Kyoya, who is glaring daggers at her, then decides that she does not care.

She is tired, after all.

She wordlessly turns away from the rest of the Guardians and follows the two of them back to where their car had been parked. She crawls into the car after Kyoya and finds herself receiving another glare.

"Why is she here?"

Sakura smiles faintly at the briskness of the tone. There had been something familiar and, dare she say, warm, in the future Kyoya's tone when he had talked to her, but whatever had happened to them in the future had not yet happened. Tetsuya immediately launches into a detailed explanation of what exactly had been happening before this Kyoya had arrived. Sakura tunes them both out and tightens her arms around her owl, before she closes her eyes.

* * *

Sakura is woken by someone tapping her shoulder, and she sees Kyoya glaring down at her. "We're here." He says sharply. "How long are you going to block the way out of the car for?"

Sakura slowly opens her eyes and realizes that they are in some underground parking lot. The exit side of Kyoya is blocked by the walls, leaving her side the only way out. She yawns, then quickly exits the car.

"We will be entering the base from the Foundation side," Tetsuya says. He locks the car then turns to them. "Is that okay?"

Sakura nods, simply because she does not care, and she follows the two men back into the base.

* * *

Kyoya stalks off the moment they had entered the building and Tetsuya hurries off after him, but not before telling Sakura that her handprint had been registered in the Foundation's security system and that she was free to come and go.

"Kyo-san's orders." He tells her. "'In case you wanted to drown yourself in orange juice, because you're still underage.'" Then he is gone, leaving Sakura to make her way back to the Vongola base by herself.

Chrome sends her an image of a bed and Sakura smiles and reminds herself that no, she is not alone. She cradles her owl gently in her arms and hurries back towards the base.

When she enters the infirmary, a teen she recognizes to be Fuuta is waiting for her. He perks when the door slides open and he hurries over to her. "Chrome-san!"

Sakura stills and eyes him for a moment, before she offers him a soft smile. "Hello."

Fuuta returns the smile. "I thought you'd come back here," He says. "The others returned, but you weren't with them."

"Kusakabe-san drove me back," Sakura moves past him and sits down on the infirmary bed. She sighs.

"We have a room set up for you," Fuuta tells her gently. "I can show you to it?"

Sakura hesitates, the urge to simply fall asleep on the bed she in on very strong, but she slowly gets to her feet. "That would be nice."

* * *

Sakura leaves her new room with the intention of sneaking into the kitchen to grab something edible before retreating. She knows the usual times everyone else ate, and she made sure to head over when there wasn't supposed to be anyone around. However, that appeared to not be the case today.

"Chrome."

Sakura turns at her name and sees Bianchi approaching her. She stops and allows the woman to catch up.

"Nice work today." The woman says. "Are you okay?"

Sakura glances down and nods.

Bianchi smiles. "Are you going to go eat?" She asks. "Why don't you wait for the others and eat together." She must have seen her stiffen, because she continues. "Or not. I think the girls are in the kitchen right now. I'm sure they can whip something up for you."

Sakura is about to protest, but the woman does not give her the chance. She is ushered towards the kitchen and when the door opens, the two girls inside turn around and their smiles brighten when they see her.

Sakura remembers seeing them around the base, but she has never interacted with them.

"Bianchi-san!" The girl with her hair in a ponytail rushes over first. "And you much be-"

"This is Chrome." Bianchi introduces her.

"Hello Chrome-chan, I'm Miura Haru." The girl says.

The other girl hurries over too. "I'm Sasagawa Kyoko."

Sakura glances down, unable to meet their eyes.

 _So innocent, so bright, and so full of hope for the future._

Bianchi smiles. "She just returned with the guys and is hungry. Could you make something for her?"

"We just finished preparations for dinner," Kyoyo says. "Why don't I go call the boys-"

"She wants to eat quietly." Bianchi cuts in gently. "It's always an uproar when everyone is here, isn't it?"

The girl laughs at this. "You're right." She gestures towards the table. "Why don't you sit, Chrome-chan? We'll get you something to eat."

Bianchi gently budges her to the table and Sakura hesitantly sits down.

 _Why are they smiling at her?_

The two girls place a bowl of rice and some soup in front of her. This is followed by a bigger plate full of other things to eat. Sakura stares at it, unable to remember the last time she has sat down at a normal table to eat handmade food. Ken and Chikusa seemed very content with canned and microwaved food and the dinners she had attended as Mukuro's vessel did not really count.

 _The war had lasted for years. Soon, no one had the time for something as luxurious as food. They ate anything they could find and often joked about what would kill them first, starvation, food poisoning, a bug, or their enemies._

 _Then again, who were their enemies, anyways?_

The girls sit opposite her and watch her eagerly as Bianchi begins to eat her own dinner.

"Hahi, Chrome-chan, are you not hungry?" Haru asks.

"You don't have to force yourself," Kyoko says. "Dinner is best eaten when you're hungry, isn't it?"

Sakura thinks back to when Bianchi had told the girl she had been hungry, and wonders if they had just forgotten, or if they had deemed the fact unimportant.

 _Why are you smiling at me?_

Sakura quickly gets to her feet.

 _She cannot stay here._

"I'm sorry."

Haru calls something after her, but she does not hear. She spins on her heels and darts out of the room.

* * *

Bianchi watches the girl vanish and she turns to the two confused girls.

"She's a quiet and a little different," Haru says awkwardly.

Bianchi sighs sadly. "She doesn't know what to do with kindness." She explains gently. "I heard from Reborn, but she grew up all this time thinking she was alone. She probably never expected anyone to just unconditionally accept her. To her, what you and Kyoko did as natural behavior is something she's never expected before." She smiles at the upset look the two girls have on their faces for Chrome's sake. "But she's a kind, gentle girl, so don't treat her differently."

The two girls smile. "Of course!"

* * *

Sakura slips back into her room, upset at herself for having run and trying to wonder why she was confused the two girls had smiled at her.

It was common courtesy, not to mention they were kind girls, of course they would.

Perhaps it was because until this point, she hadn't had a normal 'friend'. Ken and Chikusa were people she was brought together under circumstances and Mukuro was someone who was using her, just like she was using him.

 _And all her friends had died during the war. Maybe not physically, but the people she had known and loved were long gone._

She feels Nagi's worry and smiles softly into the darkness of her room.

' _Sorry Nagi.'_ She thinks. ' _I'll get you something to eat later.'_

She ignores Nagi's increasing concern and throws herself onto her bed. However, she finds herself unable to sleep and when she realizes, she in on her way back to the Foundation building.

She heads right over to where she had fallen asleep before their attack on the Milfiorre base and falls asleep right there.

* * *

 **Here's the next chapter~**

 _ **Darque: So, they'll be back in the past next chapter.**_

 **Raven: There are moments when Sakura almost seems fine :(**

 _ **Darque: Yeah. She's getting a little better, though.**_

 **Raven: Mhm.**

 _ **Darque: And she's trying, and she doesn't even know it.**_

 **Raven: Yeah :(**

 _ **Darque: Also, we're currently working on an original story and we were wondering if any of you could recommend**_ **good websites to post original stories similar to fanfiction . net, where we can receive reviews and stuff.**

 **Raven: Thank you in advance~**

 **Read and Review~**


	22. Chapter 22

_**Chapter TWENTY TWO**_

The next day, Sakura wakes up to the sound of an announcement coming from the speakers spread out throughout the base. She slowly sits up and glances around. Once again, there is a blanket over her shoulders. She gets to her feet and opens the first fusuma she comes across, revealing the large room she had been in when Kyoya and Ryohei had their drinks together.

Currently, it is occupied by Tetsuya and an annoyed looking Kyoya.

"Good morning, Chrome-san." Tetsuya greets her. "I was just about to go wake you up."

"Good morning." Sakura dips her head in the man's direction and nods at Kyoya, who ignores her.

"Would you like anything to eat before we head out?"

Sakura blinks and remembers the PA.

Gather in the meeting room so that they could head back to the Merone Base.

She shakes her head. "I'm fine."

Tetsuya nods, then stands up. "We will be making our way to the base via car." He says. "We should get going."

Kyoya wordlessly follows the man out of the room and Sakura hurries off after them.

* * *

The ride on the car is quiet, and Sakura watches the scenery pass outside the window. They find that they are the first to arrive and Shoichi greets them with a wide smile. "Hey guys! Did you rest well?"

Sakura glances over at Kyoya, who promptly turns away, and nods. "Yes, thank you."

"We-well, you guys can wait here while the rest of you arrive." Shoichi trails off a little uncertainty. "Preparations are already done."

It is only a while later when everyone else appears. After a few more share words, Shoichi activates the machine, and when she blinks, she is standing in the busy streets of Namimori. She senses movement and sees Kyoya already stalking off in the other direction. She glances back and notes that everyone else is still marvelling at the familiar scenery of ten years ago, and she too quickly slips away.

* * *

When she arrives at Kokuyo Land, Ken and Chikusa are in the main room. Both of them jump to their feet when she appears from behind the door.

"Chrome!" Ken bounds over to her. "Where were you the past few days boyn?"

Sakura smiles faintly. "Sorry." She says. "Something came up."

Ken appears at a much more calm pase. "Something?"  
Chrome nods. "I'm sorry." She repeats. "I'm fine, though."

Ken blushes and looks away. "I-I didn't ask." He mutters.

Sakura's smile widens. "Right."

Ken adjusts his glasses. "Well, it's good you're fine." He says. "Anyways, it's almost dinner. Ken, it's your turn."

"What?" The teen huffs. "While Chrome wasn't here, we had to do extra, so-" He blinks. "Bu-but, since you just came back, I guess I can go again." He spins on his heels and, still huffing, storms out of the building.

"I'm sorry," Sakura says a third time.

Chikusa glances at her, then shrugs. "It's fine."

* * *

Ken returns with a whole load more snacks than what she remembers to be usual. As she watches, he tosses a few of them to where they usually store the food, then dumps the rest of it in front of her.

"Here!" He snaps. "I got you something to yet, so don't waste any of it!"

Sakura sees the blush spread across his face and smiles. "Thank you."

Ken's face goes even redder, and muttering under his breath, he stalks out of the room.

Once he is gone, Sakura sighs and sinks further into the corner she was sitting in. The feeling, the presence within her that had been missing in the future, was once again there.

 _Mukuro-sama._

' _Chrome. My Chrome.'_

As if hearing his name she feels a call and, when she blinks, she finds herself back in their own little world. The wind is soft and gentle and the grass sways to it. She places her hand on a tree nearby and takes in the scenery for a moment.

"Chrome."

Sakura slowly turns around to see Mukuro stand there, a soft smile on his face. "Mukuro-sama."

"Where have you been for the past days?

Sakura stiffens. She remembers the warning she had received regarding the dangers of sharing the story of the future with anyone of this time. She steels herself and looks down.

Mukuro lets out a soft breath and closes his eyes. "It appears you have gone through some tremendous ordeal." He slowly walks over to her. "My dearest Chrome. I am always with you, no matter what."

Sakura looks up again but she doesn't turn around, because she knows the teen is not longer there. Instead, she smiles softly and pulls herself back to reality.

She did not know she would miss the mysterious teen so much. She did not know she would miss Ken and Chikusa so much. She sighs and buries her face in her knees.

* * *

The next time she comes to, it is due to someone triggering a sensor illusion at the entrance of Kokuyo Land. She reaches out and notes that Ken and Chikusa are messing around on the roof, and she has set the illusions so neither of them triggered them. She reaches for her trident and gets to her feet.

The intruder slips over several more of her illusions but does not trigger any of the traps, and that alone tells her that they are a skilled illusionist themselves.

A while later, someone enters the room, and Sakura finds herself staring down Sawada Tsunayoshi or, at least, some who looks like him.

She knows who this is, she realizes. "Arcobaleno, Mammon."

Tsunayoshi's confident smirk falters for a moment, before the entire illusion shatters.

"What can I do for you."

The Arcobaleno sighs and floats up into the air. "I should have asked for more money." He mutters.

Sakura tilts her head in confusion.

"The Trials." Mammon says. "Can you just go along with it?"

"You Trials?" Sakura asks.

Mammon shakes his head. "Skull's."

Sakura has no idea who Skull is, but she shrugs. "Depends."

"Call Rokudo Mukuro, will you?"

Sakura closes her eye. _Mukuro-sama?_

' _I am here, my cute little Chrome.'_ Comes the reply. ' _This is interesting. Why don't we go along with it?'_

Sakura opens her eye and nods. She sees the familiar smoke appear out of nowhere and she closes her eye as Mukuro takes over.

* * *

Mukuro senses Nagi pull away to the back of his mind and notes that she appears completely uninterested in what is to come. He prods at her playfully and the girl lets out a small huff that has him chuckling.

' _Are you not going to watch, Chrome?'_

He senses her shift. ' _Maybe.'_

Mukuro smiles, then chases after where the Varia's Illusionist had vanished. When he tears through the busts surrounding the Shopping mall, Mammon is no longer there. Instead, to the side stands Sawada Tsunayoshi and Reborn, and in front of him...

Hibari's greeting comes in the form of swung tonfas and Mukuro meets the attack with his trident.

"Hey, we finally meet."

"Kufufu." Mukuro finds his smile widening at Kyoya's words. "Indeed, it has been a while."

"I'll bite you to death this time."

"I hope you are more entertaining than the last time."

Mukuro senses Nagi's exasperated sigh and prods at her in his mind again. ' _That's me you're about to get beat up.'_ She murmures. ' _Please be careful.'_

' _Are you implying I will lose?'_

He laughs when Nagi sends him an image of throwing her arms up in exasperation.

' _Do not worry, Nagi.'_ He says reassuringly. ' _I will end this quickly. Besides,'_ He dodges away from Hibari's attack. In the distance, he can sense a tremendous power coming from Sawada Tsunayoshi. ' _You appear tired.'_ He says softly. A huge octopus crashes into the ground a little away from them, but both he and Kyoya ignore it. ' _Perhaps you should rest.'_

' _You will be leaving soon, will you not?'_ Nagi asks. Still, he feels her retreating to the back of his conscience again. The moment she is gone, Mukuro turns back to the fight, or he would have, if Tsunayoshi had not landed in between them, interrupting them.

"Stop."

Hibari comes to a halt, a smirk on his face. "Wow."

Mukuro too, finds himself surprised. "Oh?"

The flames die from Tsunayoshi's forehead. "Please stop." He says. "I don't know why you're here, or why you're fighting, but you guys were set up. I mean-"

The Cloud Guardian smirks. "I know."

Mukuro loosens his limbs. "As did I." He had known, and he had gone along with it, after all. "It seemed interesting, so I went with it. After all, the Vindice Prison is terribly boring."

He sees Tsunayoshi's expression fall and takes pity on him. "However, as I was fighting him, it actually became entertaining, and I'm sure he feels the same." He glances over at Kyoya, who has turned away.

"Don't be entertained." Tsunayoshi protests. "I mean, you-"

"I am aware." He thinks of how exhausted his vessel had appeared. "Perhaps I pushed Chrome a little too much." Mukuro smiles. "It appears you acquired a new power." He narrows his eyes. "I would rather you not drag Chrome into your problems where I am out of reach, but it appears that is not possible."

Tsunayoshi flinches and Mukuro confirms his thoughts in his mind. "I do not want to hear any excuses. Just protect her, protect them."

"I will." This time, Tsunayoshi's voice lacks the uncertainty. "I will."

"I must be losing my mind if I'm actually believing the words of the Mafia." Mukuro chuckles, then turns towards Kyoya, who is still looking away. "Unfortunately, I am out of time." He says. "We can continue some other time."

At this, the Cloud Guardian looks over his shoulder. "It wouldn't mean anything if I defeat you in your current state." He says dismissively. "One day, I'll bite the real you to death."

Mukuro smiles and watched the teen stalk off, then turns back to Tsunayoshi. "Well then, Vongola, we shall meet again."

He pokes at Nagi another time as he prepares himself to retreat. The girl is instantly at his side. ' _Have you rested?'_

' _It is a little difficult to do so when someone is using your body in a fight.'_

Mukuro laughs as he acknowledges her words. ' _Perhaps.'_ He sighs. ' _I do not know what you are doing.'_ He says slowly. ' _And I also understand that for some reason, you are unable to share your story with me. However, be careful, Nagi.'_

Nagi is quiet for a while, before she lets out a hum of agreement. ' _Of course, Mukuro-sama.'_

Satisfied, at least for the moment, Mukuro relinquishes his control over his vessel's body.

* * *

 **Update, my friends!**

 _ **Darque: So, still following the story.**_

 **Raven: That'll change soon, promise.**

 _ **Darque: Soon is very vague, though.**_

 **Raven: That is true.**

 _ **Darque: This one is a tad longer than usual.**_

 **Raven: Mhm, we didn't want to cut Mukuro's POV.**

 _ **Darque: We'll maybe briefly skimming over the Trials Chrome is not involved in.**_

 **Raven: We might just not, though, maybe.**

 **Read and Review~**


	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter TWENTY THREE**_

Sakura stands with Ken and Chikusa flanking her. Opposite her stands Tsunayoshi, who is carrying a large wrapped box. Behind him stand three Arcobaleno and Lal Mirch, who also appears to be a baby. She recalls that the woman had been older in the future and wonders what the story there is. However she does not have the time to wonder because Tsunayoshi rushes over towards her and holds out the box. "Chrome!"

"You still want something?" Ken snaps.

"I asked my mom to make rice balls," The Vongola says nervously. "I heard you didn't eat anything at the base, and I was wondering if you were eating properly."

Ken scowls. "Of course we feed her!"

"Mostly snacks, though," Chikusa chirps.

"What? That's not healthy!" Tsunayoshi pushes the box into her arms. "Here. I asked for a lot so you should eat it all together."

Sakura hesitantly takes it. "Thank you."

Ken pushes his way forward and begins to sniff the container. Sakura smiles a little when Tsunayoshi leans away awkwardly.

"We will be going now." She says, and at her words, Ken and Chikusa automatically fall into step beside her. "Thank you for the food, Vongola. If you need anything...well, I do not know if I can spare you any time, but at least you know where to find me."

Ken complains loudly at her words and Chikusa hushes him. Sakura turns on her heels and leads the way back into the shopping mall.

* * *

The next day, Sakura wakes up to see Ken and Chikusa gathered around the lunch box. They had eaten a few last night and Sakura smiles when they eagerly turn to her for wordless permission. "Feel free to eat. I told you last night, you don't have to ask," She tells them, then turns towards the door.

"Aren't you going to eat byon?" Ken asks.

Sakura hesitates, then doubles back. "I'll take one."

"Where are you going?" Chikusa asks.

"Should I go with you?" Ken offers.

Sakura shakes her head. "I will be fine, I won't be long."

As she leaves their grounds, she checks in on Mukuro. The teen must have tired himself out more than he would like to admit, for there is barely a response. Sakura does not doubt Mukuro will come to her aid should she call for it, but he had used more of his power in order to try and keep the burden off of her when he had fought Kyoya and that was taking a large toll on him. She smiles.

When she had woken up, she had had a bad feeling, probably having something to do with the heavy feeling in the air. She leaves the Kokuyo grounds and immediately heads towards the town center.

* * *

Namimori is very much like what she had seen in the future, but there are also significant differences. Sakura halfheartedly notes these changes as she wanders the streets, and comes to a halt when she catches whiffs of an illusion. She casually spins on her heels and begins to make her way towards it.

The sight that greets her is not something she had been expecting, because it is not every day she gets to see the Storm of the Varia, albeit disguised with an illusion, shopping with Sasagawa Kyoko. The illusion is simple but powerful, perfectly able to hide the self proclaimed prince from ordinary people. It is most definitely not something Belphegor can cast, and that tells her that Mammon is somewhere near by. She reminds herself that while Mammon had been present yesterday, that had been Skull's Trail and not the Illusionist's.

As she watches, the two of them stand up, apparently done with eating, and begin to head off down the street. Sakura hesitates for a second before curiosity wins over and she decides to follow them.

As the pair turns a corner, Sakura realizes that they must be heading towards Namimori Shrine. She follows them around the corner and has to step back when a set of knives fly towards her and bury themselves into the wall in front of her. She glances up ahead to see the red haired girl grinning at her from over shoulder.

Belphegor, despite the way he acted, was a professional assassin. Of course he would notice. Sakura extracts the knives from the wall lest someone sees them and continues on her merry way.

* * *

Just as she had expected, the two soon begin to climb the stairs to Namimori Shrine. Sakura can sense several more people at the top of the stairs and she can feel Tsunayoshi's Flames. She realizes that she must be about to walk in on a Trial, or what had been a Trial. She coats herself in a notice me not illusion and, ignoring the stairs, simply makes her way up through the trees.

She arrives at the top just as Ryohei and Takeshi rush down the stairs towards Kyoko and a still concealed Belphegor and in time to see Reborn, Lal Mirch and Mammon, along with Tsunayoshi, settle themselves on top of the roof of the shrine.

The three babies instantly notice her arrival and Tsunayoshi soon follows. "Chrome!"

Sakura glances down at her ring, which is glowing the indigo of Mammon's flames, then at what she is sure is a box weapon lying in the bruised up Illusionist's hands.

So it had been true that these weapons had been already invented during this time.

Sakura decides that she is probably not welcome to whatever talk had been going on. She raises her ring towards the Vongola X, then turns back the way she had come.

Belphegor and Mammon are waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. The Storm Varia no longer has an illusion coating him and Sakura casually reaches towards her trident. However, the blond raises his hands to show that he is unarmed. "We're not here to fight," He tells her, his grin never leaving his face. "You're from around here, aren't you?"

Sakura does not relax but she moves her hand away from her own weapon. "Technically," She says, because she knows this place well enough.

"I want to eat sushi," Belphegor announces. "Take me somewhere I can eat sushi."

Mammon sighs and Sakura watches the two for a while longer, before she nods. "Sure."

Belphegor lets out a laugh of victory and Sakura glances over her shoulder one more time at where Tsunayoshi and his friends had gathered at the top of the stairs. They do not seem to have noticed them. Sakura turns and follows the two Varia members back towards town center.

* * *

 **Here's an update~**

 _ **Darque: So, maybe I lied.**_

 **Raven: Sakura will not be involved in** _ **some**_ **of the Trails.**

 _ **Darque: I love Belphegor, though. He's in top three of my favorite characters, right up there with Mukuro and Hibari, so, I had to show him some love.**_

 **Raven:...Right...Sakura really did nothing though.**

 ** _Darque: Pah, she's gonna hang out with my boi. I had EXAMS on top of that, okay? Leave me alone._**

 **Raven: The ones you didn't study for?**

 ** _Darque: Yup._**

 **Raven: Your _FINALS?_**

 _ **Darque: Yeeee~ :**_

 **Read and Review~**


	24. Chapter 24

**NEW STORY INFO AT THE BOTTOM~**

 _ **Chapter TWENTY FOUR**_

Sakura makes her way into one of the sushi restaurants she knows of. Belphegor rushes past her and takes a seat right in front of the itamae, the man who runs the restaurant. Sakura follows at a much slower pace and takes a seat to the blond's left while Mammon sits at his right.

She glances around the store to notice that at this moment in time, there is only one other customer, who is sitting at the far end of the store.

Sakura realizes with a jolt that he has the same air that Reborn and Colonello and even Mammon have, and it is just that she hadn't noticed it until this point. That was probably because his aura is not as outwardly powerful as Reborn's, but the power is there all the same. She does not show anything on her face, though, and she does not react. Instead, she carefully turns back to her current companions.

"The pink one," Belphegor says.

Just then, the door to the restaurant opens once again and Sakura hears a familiar voice. "Pops, I'm back-" It is interrupted by an intake of breath. She turns around to see Takeshi standing there with shock apparent on his face.

The itamae huffs. "Kid, this is called Fatty Tuna."

Belphegor hums thoughtfully. "Fine, then the Fatty Tuna."

Takeshi walks over to them and stops beside her. "Chrome, what are you doing here?" He asks. "With them? You didn't go back to Italy yet?"

Belphegor laughs. "I tagged along for this." He says.

"We can't spend all our time working." Mammon agrees.

"I was merely being a good native and showing them around." Sakura chirps.

Taketsu laughs nervously.

* * *

The next day passes without a fuss and Sakura stays cooped up in Kokuyo Land. The following day, however, Ken and Chikusa approach her in the morning and drag her out.

"You're shopping duty today," Ken announces. "But I'm going with you."

"We," Chikusa says. "We are going with you."

"You might vanish again," Ken says hotly. "Like you did a few days ago."

Sakura glances down, unable to meet their eyes, unable to tell them that she is scheduled for another leave in a few days. Instead, she takes a deep breath and smiles softly and allows the two males to pull her out of Kokuyo grounds.

* * *

A few ten minutes later, they had arrived at their usual store. Ken immediately rushes off towards the snack section and Chikusa follows him to stop him from making a mess. Sakura watches the two bicker from the entrance.

She begins to think about the future again, but she is interrupted when Ken lets out an enraged shout. She looks up in time to see Ken run out of the store clutching a bag and Chikusa heading out after him. Sakura glances back at where they had been digging through snacks and sees their basket now abandoned on the floor. She wonders if she should buy the snacks first, then decides not to lest she mispurchase something and Ken heads out to buy it himself.

She apologizes to the old woman who runs the store then exists the structure. Outside the store is a public park and Sakura decides to head in there. She has never actually entered this park before but she finds herself laying the images from Mukuro's illusion world with this park with its grass and the trees and the lake.

However, Ken and Chikusa are nowhere to be seen. Sakura continues her way along the set path of the park when she sees a familiar face of the Vongola X sitting at a park table along with Kyoko, Haru and a woman she does not know. Before she even realizes, she is making her way towards them.

* * *

"Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

Tsunayoshi whips around at the familiar soft voice, eyes wide. "Chrome!"

The girl stands there, her usual bag in her arms. He hears twin exclamation from behind him as Kyoko and Haru notice the girl as well.

"Chrome-chan!" The two girls are instantly on their feet and they walk around the table towards them.

"You disappeared the moment we returned," Haru says. "We were worried."

"How have you been doing?"

Chrome glances between the two girls. "I've been doing fine." She says.

Haru and Kyoko do not seem to notice the girl's unease as they gesture for her to sit with them. Chrome does not put up much of a fight, though, and she sits between the two smiling girls.

Aria, the Sky Arcobaleno, who had arrived at his door just that morning and he had ended up accompanying around the town, leans in, a teasing smile on her face. "We have another cute girl here." The woman then turns around and whispers, "Is she your main girl?"

Tsunayoshi feels a blush rising up to his cheeks. "What? No-no! I-"

"Tsuna-san?" Haru asks. "Is something wrong?"

Tsunayoshi feels his blush deepen. "Nothing." He says. "Wh-why are you here, Chrome?"

The girl, who had been staring intently at Aria, blinks at being addressed and her head shoots up. "Right." She says, as though a thought had hit her. "I am supposed to be looking for Ken and Chikusa."

Tsunayoshi winces at the two names.

Chrome looks like she is about to stand, but the girl on either side of her stop her.

"Where are you going, Chrome-chan?" Haru asks. "You should hang out with us."

"You should." Kyoko agrees. "We didn't get to talk much before."

"Oh!" Aria turns to her many shopping bags and begins to dig through one of them. Tsunayoshi winces at the memory of having had to carry it all. "I want to give you something...How about this one?" She holds up a shirt, then frowns. "But is the color a little plain..." Muttering to herself, she turns towards him. "Tsuna-kun, can you go get it exchanged? Pink will do."

Tsunayoshi blinks. "Huh?"

Chrome looks a little awkward, and she begins to speak. "I-"

"Go on," Aria says, giving him a gentle nudge.

Tsunayoshi takes the shirt and nods uncertainty. "I-I understand."

He shoots Chrome a look, and he notices the unreadable expression on her face. Chrome had always been a little different from the rest of his Guardians, and there was something just a little off about her. Still, he felt as though she was not a bad person, and he promises himself to get to know her better.

The last thing he hears is Aria addressing his Mist Guardian before he takes off running.

* * *

 **Of Team Seven: At Hogwarts:**

 **In which ANBU Team Seven are overjoyed at being given a mission after the huge destruction they had caused in their previous make the Hokage demote them (again), only for them to find out they are now a part of the 'evil' side. Naruto does not even remember the mission, Sakura is surprisingly into it, and Sasuke just wants to drop the job and go home.**

 **(It's not a rewrite of our first Harry Potter x Naruto story, sorry, but please do check this one out.)**

* * *

 **Here's chapter twenty something~**

 _ **Darque: Sakura often finds herself confused these days.**_

 **Raven: Character development?**

 _ **Darque: Maybe.**_

 **Raven: Uh...**

 _ **Darque: What?**_

 **Raven: Nothing, really. I just realized a flaw with what I just said.**

 _ **Darque: Flaw?**_

 **Raven: Yeah. I said her being confused was development, because maybe she was beginning to understand new things, and she didn't understand the changes, right?**

 _ **Darque: Yeah?**_

 **Raven: But you're confused all the time, but you don't have character development, at all, sooo...**

 _ **Darque:...**_

 **Read and Review~**


	25. Chapter 25

_**Chapter TWENTY FIVE**_

Sakura watches as the Vongola X hurries off towards the stores, then turns her attention back to the woman in front of her. The pacifier hanging from a chain around her neck is a clear sign, but Sakura can also detect something about this kind looking woman that she knows puts her on the same level as Reborn. Not to mention Gokudera, Ryohei and Takeshi were watching them from a little away. Reborn and Lal Mirch were also there. That alone suggested that this was a Trial.

"You should stay here and wait." The woman, Aria, says. "I'm sure Tsunayoshi-kun will be back in no time.

She nods stiffly in reply.

"Still, I'm glad we could see you again," Haru exclaims.

"What have you been doing?" Kyoko asks.

Sakura glances down and away from the two bright girls that flank her. She is saved from having to reply, though, by Aria, who throws them a question.

"So, what do you think of Tsunayoshi-kun."

"Wha-why do you ask?" Haru flushes. "Tsuna-san is very kind and very cool."

"Sometimes, he can surprise you, but being with him is very reassuring," Kyoko adds.

Sakura blinks when everyone turns to her. "Sawada Tsunayoshi is...my link to someone important to me." She says carefully. While she does not necessarily lie, she does not speak the complete truth.

He is naive and innocent and weak and just a boy who was dragged into a world he did not belong in. She does not say any of this though, because she can recognize that their answers, while appearing insignificant, will play a part in influencing whatever view this woman has on Tsunayoshi, and she remembers that the Arcobaleno hold one of the keys to their victory over Byakuran in the future.

She turns back to Aria, who is still smiling. This woman before her is dangerous, though in ways Sakura cannot really tell. "He is a kind person."

He holds a kindness that will only crush him in the world he currently lives in, but it is a kind of weakness that can change those around him.

"I see," Aria says thoughtfully. "You guys like him."

"It's not only us," Kyoko says. "Everyone likes him."

"Exactly." Haru agrees.

Sakura looks up and away, though, when she feels an approaching presence. Seconds later, they all hear a voice. "Hello there, Ladies. Want to have tea with me?"

Sakura eyes man who had approached them, arms spread.

Aria turns around. "Are you talking to us?"

The man instantly stiffens, and he does not even appear fazed when Haru and Kyoko calls out to him. The man makes a lame excuse and hurries off. Sakura narrows her eyes just a little, because he had just confirmed that the man was a part of their world, and the woman was not just some random lady carrying the name of the Sky Arcobaleno.

And people like that always had other people after them. Sakura narrows her eyes, something tickling her senses. There are a dozen or so figures slowly approaching them. Sakura casually places her hand on her trident. She does not make any signs of noticing, though, and she remains where she is seated.

Who were they after?

"Sorry for the wait!"

Sakura turns around, this time to see Tsunayoshi rushing back towards them. "Did something happen?" He asks.

"Welcome back," Haru calls.

"Nothing happened," Aria tells him, a smile on her face. "However, I am a little thirsty. Could you go buy me something to drink?"

"Haru will go." The girl offers.

"Yeah." Kyoko agrees. "You wait here, Tsuna-kun."

Tsuna begins to stutter. "O-oh, but-"

Aria turns to the girls. "I guess I'll ask you girls, then."

"We'll be right back," Haru says, getting to her feet.

"Would you like to come with us?" Kyoko asks, and it takes Sakura a second to realize that she is addressing her.

Sakura eyes the girl. The mysterious figures are approaching. If they leave now, she will not be involved in whatever conflict is to come.

However, can she leave Tsunayoshi, who is technically her boss, when she knows shady figures are approaching? She shifted her gaze back to the smiling girls. But letting them off on their own was dangerous as well, and technically Tsunayoshi can defend himself. Not to mention, the other Guardians are nearby. She makes her decision. "Okay."

She places her bag slowly onto the table but purposefully holds her trident to her chest. She sends Tsunayoshi, who is watching her, a meaningful look and wonders if he understands before she turns and allows the two girls to lead her away.

"I know a really nice juice place," Haru says.

Kyoko smiles, then turns to her. "So, Chrome-chan, what have you been doing while you were gone?"

Sakura takes a deep breath. "Nothing, really." She says, only half listening. The figures do not make any moves towards them. They must be after either Tsunayoshi or Aria. Still, Sakura does not relax.

"We-well, maybe we could hang out sometime," Haru says.

"Yeah." Kyoko agrees. "Hana-chan was telling me about this new store..."

Sakura watches the two girls chatter on happily about nothing in particular and wonders, unfairly, if it is this innocence that draws Tsunayoshi to these two.

* * *

When they return from their trip to the stores, Sakura sees that the rest of the Guardians are standing around Tsunayoshi. She cannot see any enemies lying around, but she can only assume that they had been defeated. The two girls beside her instantly rush off to greet the boys, who awkwardly try to match their stories. Sakura watches as Aria prepares to leave, and she feels her ring warm for a second as Aria gives Tsunayoshi her Seal. She can also feel her companions approaching her and, wanting to avoid a clash between the two parties, she leaves the cups of juice she had been holding and quietly slips away.

* * *

She receives an earful from Ken when she appears before them. Apparently, the two had noticed that she was missing halfway through their argument and had doubled back to look for her.

"I'm sorry." She tells them. "I wasn't bothered to chase after you, though."

Ken scowls. "You should have said something byon!"

"It's because you ran off," Chikusa says bluntly.

Ken whips around to glare at him. "What did you say?"

Sakura smiles at the familiar scene and simply watches them as they make their way back to the store.

* * *

 **Update~**

 _ **Darque: Approaching next is Reborn's Trail.**_

 **Raven: Oh yes. I've been looking forward to this part.**

 _ **Darque: Me too, though what I'm looking forward to the most is things like Choice, and**_ **_Daem-_**

 **Raven: Hey!**

 ** _Darque: Oooo, right. Imma_ _say_ _nothing._**

 **Raven: Atta girl.**

 **Read and Review~**


	26. Chapter 26

_**Chapter TWENTY SIX**_

The next day, Sakura receives a summon in the form of Yamamoto Takeshi. Ken and Chikusa immediately look like they are ready for a fight but Sakura forces them to back down.

"Wait for me." She tells them. "I will return, I promise."

The two teens share a look before they sigh and step aside. Sakura smiles at them, then hurries out of the building.

The Rain Guardian brightens when he sees her. "Chrome!"

"Hello." Sakura stops a little away from him. "What can I do for you?"

"Reborn's Trial is today," Takeshi tells her. "We're going to Namimori Island. I came to pick you up."

Sakura's gaze shifts to the trident in her hand. She then glances back towards the shopping mall, and she nods firmly. "Okay." She says. "Lead the way."

* * *

Takeshi leads her to a dock at the edge of town center, and the rest of the Guardians, even Kyoya, is already there. Tsuna greets them all, and then they are all herded onto the two boats prepared for them. Ryohei rows one of them while Takeshi offers to take the other. Tsunayoshi, Gokudera, and Lambo get on after the Rain Guardian and Sakura follows them without much thought. Kyoya climbs onto the second boat.

The island they arrive at is surrounded by steep rocks and Sakura follows the rest of the Guardians as they climb their way up to the top.

The moment she sees Lal Mirch, Colonello and Reborn standing opposite them, she knows that none of them had known what quite to expect.

"I'm starting the Trial." Those are the words Reborn greets them with, and while Tsunayoshi's eyes widen in disbelief, Sakura easily recognizes that the Arcobaleno is being lenient even giving them this warning, especially with the way he appears to plan to proceed with this.

"An all out fight."

Even as her companions appear to struggle to comprehend what exactly is going on, Sakura drops her bag to the ground and kicks it well out of the way. She extends her trident and points the weapon at the Arcobaleno.

"Ch-Chrome?" Tsuna asks.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Hayato snaps.

Sakura ignores their reactions. "You heard the Arcobaleno." She says softly. "Do you think he is joking? He does not appear to be joking to me."

"I-I can't do something like that!" Tsuna exclaims.

"This is why I say you're still too soft." Reborn's voice is soft and deadly and, in the next second, he is flying towards the boy. Sakura steps in front of him and received the brunt of the kick with her trident. She pulls the weapon towards her and the momentum of Reborn's kick brings him towards her instead. Sakura reaches out with her other hand but the Arcobaleno kicks himself off the handle of her weapon and jumps out of reach before she can grab him.

"What are you doing all of a sudden?" Ryohei demands.

"I said I'm starting the Trial," Reborn says.

"Exactly." Lal Mirch says. "The Trial has already started."

Reborn's expression reveals nothing of what he is feeling. "Come at me, any of you."

Ryohei lowers himself into a stance but Hibari acts first. The Cloud Guardian flies at the Arcobaleno and lashes out with his tonfas.

Sakura glances behind her at Tsuna, who appears to be frozen in shock. "Are you okay?" She asks. Her words seem to knock the others out of their own states and Gokudera is rushing towards him. "Tenth!"

Sakura turns away from the sight and watches Kyoya knock the jitte out of Reborn's hands, only for him to leap into the air after it, turn the weapon into a gun, and shoot down at the Cloud Guardian. Smoke rises into the air and when it dies away, Kyoya collapses onto the ground.

Reborn moves for Ryohei next. After delivering a few sharp jabs against his guard, he slips past the teen's defense and delivers a harsh blow to his stomach, then an uppercut that knocks him right off his feet.

"Don't worry." He says offhandedly. "I didn't break his jaw."

Sakura grits her teeth at the lack of coordination against an opponent who is clearly much more skilled than all of them put together.

Those who don't follow the rules-

Sakura bites her lip hard enough to draw blood and successfully chases away the haunting words. She has to focus. Reborn is highly mobile, and his attacks are very powerful. Movement is key, she thinks. If he catches them, it is over. She sees Gokudera shoot at the Arcobaleno and she sees Reborn transforming his weapon again. She spins her trident and erupts a pillar of fire, the most familiar illusion she can cast, in front of the Storm Guardian, who instinctively steps back from the illusion and the attack Reborn had deflected hits the ground in front of him.

"You!"

"I saved you," Sakura tells him drily, though she knows he knows and that, in his confusion, he is merely lashing out at whatever he can. Sakura spins her trident again, this time sending her pillars of fire towards Reborn, who does not even react as he walks through them.

Of course, what was she thinking?

She can hear Hayato's shocked exclamations but Sakura does not bother explaining how illusions work. While not obvious, she had seen the sign in Reborn. He was a survivor, she thinks. Perhaps not of a war as large scaled as her own, but of a war all the same.

She swings her trident behind her and lowers into a stance but she does not engage. There is something she wants to test.

Tsuna still appears too shaken to move. Reborn easily defeats Gokudera, then Yamamoto, then turns towards them, the last two standing.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi," She says softly. "Stay here for a little."

Sakura relishes in the sudden rush that comes with the fight. Reborn, despite his size, is probably one of the strongest people she has ever faced in this world.

"What game are you playing, Arcobaleno?" She asks quietly. "You once accused me of being aware of the rules we were not supposed to know but this time, it appears our roles are reversed.

"I never accused you of anything," Reborn replies easily. "Knowledge is even more advantageous when the opposing party is unaware that they are unaware."

"Then where does that put me?" Sakura asks. "I am aware that I am unaware."

Reborn laughs and Sakura decides to entertain them.

"I once knew a man." She tells him. She ducks under a bullet and lashes out with her trident, which Reborn easily dodges. "He asked us for something without putting it to words, and we failed to see this. Later, he told us to 'look underneath the underneath'." She pulls away so that she can see his face clearly and sees the faintest of smiles on his face. "Oh, Arcobaleno, you are being very unfair."

Sakura laughs to herself then accepts the hitman's next blow, which sends her crashing into the ground and makes her world turn black.

* * *

 **Update, my loves~**

 _ **Darque: Raven got me a new wallet~ Thank you, my boi-**_

 **Raven: Any time-**

 _ **Darque: Now, if only you'd been thoughtful enough to put some money inside it.**_

 **Raven: .**

 _ **Darque: :)**_

 **Raven:...I'll keep that in mind.**

 **Read and Review~**


	27. Chapter 27

_**Chapter TWENTY SEVEN**_

There is an explosion, and that is what knocks Sakura out of dreamland. Nagi is awake and alert almost as soon as she is and the girl sends her flares of panic. She quickly sits up just as she hears the sound of something crumbling and falling to the ground. The ground continues to shake and she quickly grabs her trident, which is lying on a table beside her, and she hurries out of the room. There is a set of half destroyed stairs in front of her and when she hurries out of the building, she finds that she had been sleeping inside what appears to be a lighthouse.

She is still on the island.

She spins around when she hears another explosion and sees what looks like chess pawns flying around, and Tsunayoshi and the Guardians save Hibari and Lambo fighting them off.

However, she can easily tell that none of them are in top shape, and enemies they might have been able to easily defeat are giving them trouble. She cannot hear Mukuro's voice, so either he is occupied or the choice has been left up to her. She extends her trident and takes to the air, destroying the next pawn that flies towards the Guardians. It explodes and she flies backward, managing to flip last second to land on her feet. The movement jolts her injuries and her entire body hurts, but she straightens herself and holds up her trident.

"Chrome!"

Sakura turns to the three Guardians on the ground and nods. "I apologize for being late," she says. "What exactly is going on?"

"There's no time to explain." Lal Mirch's voice pierces through the air.

"This is no longer a Trial," Reborn says. "Verde broke the rules. We'll be fighting as well."

Sakura does not have a clue what the 'rules' the hitman is talking about are, but it appears that the hitman is currently back on their side. She decides that on this battlefield, ally and enemy is obvious, and she turns towards the green haired Arcobaleno tucked safely behind his bulletproof shield.

"I do not understand what's going on," she says. "But I guess we are trying to defeat him?"  
"If you know that, you know enough." Lal Mirch replies.

Their attacker, Verde, sends out two more pawn machines in the direction of Namimori, intending to use them to gather the missing two Guardians. He then sends out a bunch of box weapon prototypes modeled after sea creatures.

Sakura rolls her shoulder back, testing out their stiffness, and decides that she will be fine partaking in a fight. She cannot say the same about her fellow Guardians, though, but it is not like they have much of a choice. She reaches out towards Mukuro again but his firm presence is still nowhere within her mind.

She sighs and spins her trident. She is still tired and Nagi has been scared more than enough times today.

She will end this as quickly as possible.

* * *

Sakura decides that she doesn't enjoy being a part of someone else's entertainment, but she knows that this is exactly just that as she violently batters away the squid as it reaches towards her again. The arrival of a huge armored octopus alerts her of the arrival of Skull and moments later, Mammon and Fon arrive at the scene, and they accompanied by Lambo and I-Pin.

Sakura freezes when she feels a surge of power. She whips around and notes that the Arcobaleno, with their seven pacifiers, had gathered.

"The cursed seven who walk outside of time have been gathered here." Verde's voice echoes throughout the area. "However, this is not fate, or something unscientific like that. It is merely a step towards the success of my research. Yourinterefence was already expected. Then all I have to do was defeat you all once you had gathered. Rejoice, for you will become the basis of my research."

A green ball flies out of Verde's base and begins to release a green powder. Sakura stiffens as it descends but it does not take over a second for her to realize that there are no immediate effects. She glances over at the Arcobaleno, who have not moved.

 _Non-Trinisette._

Curiously, she turns towards the rest of the Guardians, who are all frozen in shock.

 _So we aren't helping them?_

Sakura keeps her scoff to herself and taps her trident onto the ground. She is confident enough that she can destroy the machines with her fire without hurting-

Something plays in the corner of her vision. Her illusion trained eyes see through the thin layer of mist that has been spread over throughout the beach, and she is impressed because the illusion is very powerful for such a small amount of Flames used.

Had she been anyone else, she probably would not have noticed, and there is only one other person here who is powerful enough to cast such a thing.

Mammon is the Varia is very impressive indeed. Sakura casually lowers her weapon as the pawn robots restrain the Arcobaleno and carry them away. After all, she is curious to see how they plan to play this out.

She turns back to Verde, who does not seem to have noticed the switch.

"Now you've seen my power," Verde says. "Hand over the rings!"

Or he's pretending he doesn't because Tsuna and the rest of his Guardians also do not know of the illusion. She looks up towards the ball emitting the Non-Trinisette. Afterall, that did not change the fact that the Arcobaleno could not move until the machine was broken.

"Even if we hand over the rings," she says quietly, "Verde will kill us all afterward."

Tsuna grits his teeth and clenches his fist. "We can't," he tells Verde.

Sakura smiles as the rest of the Guardians harden their gaze and raises their voices to back up the boy.

"And do you not care for them?" Verde asks.

"I'll rescue them and protect my friends!" Tsuna declares.

Sakura pauses because that is a line she has heard many, many times. Perhaps not exactly in that word order, but she-

She bites the inside of her cheek, hard enough to draw blood and holds on until the traces of blond hair stop overlapping with the boy before her.

"Let's do it, Tenth," Gokudera says.

Sakura is frankly quite tired of collapsing from exhaustion for from impact or whatever other things that knock people out, and all she really wants to do at this moment in time is to return to Kokuyo because she is sure Ken and Chikusa are worried, and give Nagi a moment of peace where she is not constantly fearing for her life.

And the easiest way to achieve that is to defeat Verde. Sakura raises her trident and lowers into a stance. These days, it appears as though she is fighting every day for day to day peace, but she has lived through a lifetime of battle; the difference in skill between her enemies then and enemies now already ensure that her fights today are much easier.

However, they are battles all the same though, and while Sakura knows the weight of life better than most, that does not mean that carrying it is any easier.

* * *

 **Update, my loves~**

 ** _D_** ** _arque: Just some canon stuff._**

 **Raven: Sakura seems to be getting on just fine, doesn't she.**

 _ **Darque: She does.**_

 **Raven: She'll crack soon.**

 _ **Darque: . Wait. Did you just-**_

 **Raven: It's like a warning :) Not a spoiler.**

 _ **Darque: O.O Okay.**_

 **Read and Review~**


End file.
